Shades of Red
by Iota Xi
Summary: They weren't perfect, but they made it work. Ruby just needed to stand on her tippy-toes. An AU collection of one-shots featuring Pyrrha and our favorite reaper. (Sorry, Qrow).
1. Just a Touch of Spice

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY.**

* * *

"I think you could stand to be a bit more of a bitch."

Pyrrha stared, slack-jawed, at her girlfriend of several years. "Excuse me!?"

"You heard me," said Ruby, face still neutral. Now, Ruby was still Ruby, but she definitely picked up a mature quirk or two as she's grown at Beacon. Occasional swearing included.

 _That aside, we literally just sat down on the couch! Where the heck did that come from?_ thought Pyrrha.

"I feel like an explanation is needed. And are you even one to talk?"

"Meh. Remember the girl working the register when we went out shopping?"

"Yeah?"

"She was totally giving you crap just because you're the 'Invincible Girl' and what not."

"So?"

The younger girl turned to look at her, eyes firm. "Listen, babe, you don't have to take that shit from anyone, even Yang. Just hit em around a little with Miló, and if it so happens to be Yang, I'll forgive you if you hit em a lot more than a little."

Pyrrha sighed. "Ruby, did Yang say something to upset you?"

"No."

"Ruby."

"Yes...?"

"Was that an affirmative 'yes' or an interrogative one?"

"Yes."

"Ruby."

"Alright, alright! She may have said something along the lines of our relationship being bland."

*Start flashback*

"I love you two, but seriously, it's like watching vanilla ice cream make out with one of Port's lectures. Bland and boring."

"Yang!"

"I'm not saying you need to go overboard, but would it kill ya to add a little spice to the relationship?"

"And how would we do that? I don't think Pyrrha would be into sexual role-playing like Blake."

In the distance, the aforementioned faunus coughed awkwardly.

"Oh, shut it, Blake. I've seen the costumes. Never would have pegged you for the nurse-type, but whatever makes you happy, I guess."

"..."

Yang laughed away the growing discomfort and switched back to the original topic.

"You know what, Rubes? Forget I said anything. You and Pyrrha are perfect the way you are."

*End flashback*

 _Well, things sort of make sense now..._

Pyrrha looked back at her girlfriend. "Ruby, as it stands, I think we're okay."

"I know! I love us when we're together. It's just... I don't know. I figured I'd try to add a little variety. Nothing too spicy." Ruby continued, "So I went with the Bumblebee approach."

"The what?"

"You know. Combine the reckless confidence of Yang with the brooding edginess of Blake."

"Ah."

"And here we are."

Pyrrha hummed in thought.

"Ruby?"

Still looking slightly despondent, she looked up. "Yeah?"

"About those costumes..."


	2. On Butterflies

Ruby was beside herself with joy.

Why you ask?

Simple. A butterfly managed to perch itself right on Pyrrha's nose while the two lounged about in a field.

It was beyond adorable.

Ruby mentally gushed. _Omg_ , _omg, omg! I can't believe this is happening! I don't think I can handle this level of cuteness._

The look of surprise on the champion's face followed by the single eyebrow scrunched in confusion was just too much for Ruby's heart, so much so that she tackle-glomped Pyrrha with a hug as soon as the butterfly fluttered away.

"Ooph!"

"Eeek! Pyrrha! I'll never forget that moment for the rest of our lives!"

At that, Pyrrha couldn't help but smile. And the fact that Ruby said "our lives" was the icing on the cake.

* * *

Omake (Snow Whites and Red Hoods):

 _It was cute a dozen animals ago, but…_

Ruby didn't know how she felt about this. Pyrrha had managed to attract the cuddly attention of a fox, a family of rabbits, and more than a few song birds.

 _The fox doesn't even make sense!_

Worst still, Pyrrha's new playmates weren't exactly amicable with their goddess's lover. And so, Ruby huffed and committed to wait for her turn. _Tch._

A moment later, a spurt of giggles sounded over the picturesque clearing.

"Hehe. George! Stop that. It tickles!"

 _George?! Oh, hell no. Someone hold my scythe! I'm going in._


	3. Stars

Pyrrha was not happy.

Okay, unhappy was a bit strong, but still.

 _Damn you, weather app. You said it would only be partially cloudy! Not… Not this!_

Sighing, she looked up at the pitch black night sky without a star in sight.

 _And I was looking forward to making out with Ruby underneath soft starlight…_

* * *

The afternoon had been a pleasant one. Pyrrha was in charge of today's date, and thus far it went off without a hitch. Dinner in Vale was lovely, and a quick air-lift into the agricultural district ensured that they were far enough from the city to star-gaze properly while also being well away from Vale's border with Grimm territory.

Back in the same field they (mostly Pyrrha) enjoyed themselves in the other day, the two girls walked hand-in-hand, one of them carrying their blanket and the other carrying dessert.

"Is here a good spot?"

"Yup," Pyrrha replied with a fond smile.

With the blanket set out, the prodigy and the champion plopped unceremoniously down.

After removing Pyrrha's heels, Ruby kicked off her own footwear. "Phew! The struggle is real. Date fatigue is a thing apparently."

"I hope that doesn't mean you're tired of dating me?" Pyrrha said a bit too cutely. She leaned towards her girlfriend suggestively and threw in a few eye flutters for good measure.

Ruby blinked.

"It always surprises me that even you fish for compliments."

Pyrrha huffed and crossed her arms, "Hey, I'm human too."

The shorter redhead laughed and gently tugged Pyrrha's head down into her lap. Silver eyes looked down at emerald ones.

"I'm tired, yes. Tired of you? Not in a million years."

And with that cheesy line, a cheesy kiss followed soon after.

* * *

For what felt like the twelfth time in as many minutes, Pyrrha sighed.

 _Maybe I'm just being too greedy? Everything so far has been idyllic, even Ruby's smooth talk has gotten better._

With a crestfallen look on her face, she decided to cut her losses. _I guess we'll call it a night._

Pyrrha turned her head from her lying position expecting to see her Rose next to her.

"Ruby, how about we… Ruby? Where'd you go?"

Pyrrha's brief moment of panic turned into a sustained moment of surprise when she heard a faint whistling in the air followed by a spectacular display of light.

"F-Fireworks?!"

Pyrrha sat up and saw Ruby on one knee behind her with Crescent Rose aimed up at the sky.

"Ruby!"

"Oh, hey, Pyr. Enjoying the show?" Ruby fired off several more rounds before standing up next to Pyrrha to admire her handywork. A large flower-style firework went off while two others burst, sending erratic and beautiful streaks of light careening through the darkness.

"Yes! But how?"

Ruby grinned and held up her weapon. "Meet the Crescent Rose Grimmdependence Day Mod! I was saving this for, well, Grimmdependence Day, but I figured now was as good a time as any."

Pyrrha really had no words. She couldn't believe that this girl, this absolutely beautiful girl, was hers.

 _Well, there's nothing left except for that "star" light kiss..._


	4. Lingering Flowers

"Hey, Pyrrha! Wanna watch me run a lap around the school?"

 _Swoosh._

Returning a second later, Ruby grinned cheekily. "Wanna see me do it again?"

Pyrrha couldn't help but laugh, and internally, Ruby fist pumps. She really loves that sound.

...

..

...

Indeed, their shenanigans weren't left unnoticed by two of the other members of Team RWBY currently lounging at an outdoor table.

* * *

Behind her book, Blake raised an eyebrow at the happy couple.

"Hey, Weiss. Why is it that Ruby's rose petals linger around Pyrrha?"

Weiss hummed in thought, putting down Myrtenaster after inspecting it thoroughly.

"Well, this is just speculation, but I think the petals fade because there is nothing anchoring them to this physical reality. Ruby's rose petals are part of her semblance after all, and aura/semblances are manifestations of the soul. When Ruby speeds off leaving petals in her wake, it goes without saying that she isn't there anymore; therefore, the petals lose their worldly link..."

Blake guessed where this was going but nodded for Weiss to continue.

"... However, when Pyrrha is thrown into the equation, that worldly link is established because, bleh, their souls are hopelessly intertwined."

"That's... Romantic. In a meta sort of way."

"Quite," said the Ice Queen expressionlessly.

Blake smirked, knowing that it was unlikely that she thought of all that just then, as smart as Weiss is. "You okay?"

It was Weiss's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's okay to admit that you miss her a little, you know."

The heiress's eyes widened. She looked towards Blake, ready to give her the famous Schnee glare, but the soft, genuine look on the faunus's face gave Weiss pause.

She sighed. "It's not like Ruby's abandoned me, er, us. I meant 'us'. The dolt is actually handling her first relationship really well. She's balanced out her time spent with Pyrrha and her time spent with us reasonably enough."

Blake nodded in agreement. "And I don't even think Ruby's put that much thought into it. She's doing what she does naturally, which means that she's not forcing herself to spend time with us. She genuinely wants to, even with her girlfriend just across the hall."

This earned a small smile from Weiss. "You're right. I'm being ridiculous."

"You're not. I can feel Ruby's absence sometimes too. Funny how things you never payed attention to before become the first things you notice when they're gone."

"I feel like we never completely learn that lesson, no matter how many times it comes up."

"There's always next time."

The two shared a look. And they laughed.

Life was good. But it's nice to talk like this every now and then.

* * *

Omake:

Blake barely held in another laugh when she caught Weiss trying to nab one of Ruby's petals, only for it to dissolve into thin air shortly after.

 _Oh, Weiss-cream._


	5. Philosophy of Ruby

Our heroes were doing what heroes do best: studying. In the library.

..

...

..

Did I lose you? My apologies. The fact remains, though, that the two redheads were working diligently in the near-empty library of Beacon Academy. They _were_ students at the end of the day.

Speaking of days ending, that is exactly where we pick up. The girls were wrapping up their study session as Ruby turned to her girlfriend.

* * *

"Hey, Pyrrha?"

"Yes, dear?"

"What is it to be Ruby?"

Pyrrha's pencil stopped mid-stroke. "I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?"

"What is it to be me?"

 _Yikes. I really don't know how to respond to this. Proceed with caution, Nikos._

"I think… That Ruby Rose is a proud huntress, a loyal friend, and a thorough lover."

 _So much for caution._

The corner of Ruby's mouth tugged into a slight smile, before it dropped again as the girl regained her thoughtful expression. "Thank you, Pyrrha. And I'll just pretend like I didn't hear that last part."

Before Pyrrha could object and reply with better wording, Ruby pressed on.

"You, me, Jaune, Yang, all of us. Even Weiss. We're all good people. I know that for sure. But remember what Ozpin said to us that one time?"

Pyrrha nodded.

" _Who you are will change over time, but I believe that there are specific things about each of us that makes us distinctly 'us'. It is these aspects of our beings that will act as the guiding forces for each of us moving forward. It won't do to forget who we are as we search for ourselves, after all."_

Ruby continued, "Who am I? What do I do that makes me Ruby Rose?"

The champion stared at her little reaper.

"Give me some time to think…" And Pyrrha almost left it at that. But after noticing Ruby's face, she was quick to elaborate. "Ah! Sorry. It's not like I haven't thought these things about you before. I do think that part of loving is understanding. It's just that this is important stuff. I wanna try to gather all of my loose musings into something coherent."

Pyrrha let out a breath as Ruby's face lifted once more.

"Gotcha. Thanks, Pyrrha. Reconvene later tonight then?"

"Sounds like a plan."

Ruby smiled before righting herself in her desk to finish up the last bit of homework, unaware that it was Pyrrha's turn to be lost in contemplation.

* * *

The rest of the day played out as expected.

Dinner was dinner. Nora waved her chicken drumstick in the air in a noble attempt to replicate… Something. Ruby and Weiss quarrelled like the best friends they were, while Ren and Blake assumed their usual roles as the bemused bystanders.

Inter-team bonding between RWBY and JNPR followed as the eight teens gathered in the student lounge to catch a movie, curated by none other than Yang and Jaune. The two found common ground in their love for ridiculous, over-the-top action flicks.

And so the night went on until Ruby and Pyrrha decided to excuse themselves for a midnight stroll. This time we catch them in the school gardens soaking up the moonlight.

* * *

"I think… That you can be brash."

Ruby's head tilted, not expecting Pyrrha to jump back into their earlier conversation so suddenly.

Pyrrha went on. "You're the sort of person to charge, semblance blazing, into a horrible situation with little regard for the consequences. Especially how we, I, might feel."

Before Ruby's mood could slump, Pyrrha leaned in for a soft kiss against her cheek. "But I also think that you're quick-thinking and adaptable, which comes in handy when you inevitably do rush into a blazing inferno."

After a brief pause, the champion smiled, continuing. "I also think that you're definitely your mother's daughter."

At that Ruby began to tear up, causing Pyrrha to bring her into a warm embrace. The taller girl allowed her Rose to shed a few tears onto her shoulder.

"The way you continue to hold your head up high in this world of ours, a world that can be so very harsh… Some call it naive. I call it beautiful.

You're very much like Jaune in that sense. There's something about you two that makes us want to follow you. It's as if you guys are the ones who can see the light at the end of the tunnel most clearly, and we all have come to trust in that sense of direction."

Pyrrha tightened her hold on Ruby as the girl started sobbing. _I can't believe she's been holding this much in. And I can't believe I didn't notice it._ She grimaced but kept talking.

"I… I think you're a lot of things, Ruby Rose. But I want you to remember that you're _mine_ , and I'm yours. We don't have to do things alone anymore. If you need help figuring out who you are, I'll be there. If you forget who you are, I'll be there to remind you. So we don't have to answer everything tonight, alright?"

Ruby looked up. She managed to bite back the tears and even her breathing out, but her red eyes and the streaks running down her face made Pyrrha's chest clench.

Pressing their heads together, Pyrrha heard Ruby let out a barely audible whisper.

"Thank you."


	6. Chocolate

Pyrrha did the mental equivalent of rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

 _Hehehe. It's time for me to score some Ruby points_ , she thought confidently.

The redheaded Amazon currently found herself in the dormitory kitchen checking her stock of ingredients. _Flour, cocoa powder, eggs, sugar, butter, milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chunks… Okay, maybe I bought too much chocolate._

Pyrrha shook her head. There could never be too much chocolate when Ruby was involved, hence the "Death by Chocolate" cookies she was making.

Checking the recipe on her scroll, Pyrrha noted that the first step as usual was to cream together the butter and sugar. Reaching down into one of the cupboards, Pyrrha pulled out the handheld mixer that has become something of a comrade-in-arms in her quest to win Ruby's heart. However, as she pressed the 'on' button, her trusted aide decided to be a little less trusty.

"Crap."

Panic seized Pyrrha for all but a moment when the dual blades failed to whirr to life, but then she remembered. She was a huntress. She had to adapt.

And so, the blades began to rotate thanks to her semblance.

Continuing with the recipe, Pyrrha hummed along as she cracked a couple eggs into the bowl followed by a teaspoon of vanilla. Next, she gradually incorporated the flour and cocoa powder. Lastly, she began to add the different chocolates.

 _Hmmm. The recipe calls for one cup of each chocolate… I think I'll add an extra quarter-cup each just to be safe._

While it is tempting to wonder what exactly Pyrrha wanted to be "safe" from, it's best not to worry about a girl clearly in love. That being said, as Pyrrha stared at the bowl, she too began to wonder what she was thinking.

 _It's more chocolate than dough… Will this even bake?_

Shrugging, Pyrrha portioned out the "dough" onto the baking sheet and set the timer. She boiled some heavy cream on the stove and added it to some of the leftover chocolate for a ganache. After dipping her finger in for a taste-test, she nodded in satisfaction.

 _We're good to go! What should I do in the meantime, though?_

"Oh, Pyrrrrrhaaaaa~"

 _Noice._

Pyrrha smiled as Ruby sauntered her way into the kitchen. She called back, "Hello there, sexy."

At the beginning, that casual remark would have been enough to rile Ruby up plenty, but she was different now, in regards to her maturity and to... other things as well.

Ruby saddled up to Pyrrha, backing her into the countertop.

Now, the redheaded champion will be the first to tell you that Ruby went from cute to uncomfortably attractive in the span of just a few semesters, and even worse for Pyrrha, Ruby knew it too.

The girl quickly turned the tables, and it was Pyrrha's turn to be flustered.

"Ruby…"

"Shh. Close your eyes," Ruby whispered as her lips inched closer to Pyrrha's.

Pyrrha did as she was told and leaned in…

Only for her to receive a kiss on the cheek and what felt like liberal use of tongue.

Ruby giggled, "Yum! I approve."

Pyrrha shifted. _Ruby is too sexy for her own good…_

"Hey, Ruby?"

The mixed brunette looked up from dutifully checking the cookies in the oven. "Yes?"

"You missed a spot."

Laughing, Ruby made quick work of the chocolate that happened to find its way to Pyrrha's neck. And jaw. And cheek again. And neck again.

Just as Pyrrha accidentally got some on her lips, another voice sounded through the kitchen.

"Uh, guys? Do you mind if I grab something from the fridge?"

With her arms still holding Ruby, Pyrrha sighed through her nose. "Damnit, Jaune…"

* * *

After steadfastly avoiding the girls' eyes, Jaune made his way out.

The taller (just slightly) of the two made an apologetic face. "Sorry about that, Ruby."

Ruby shook her head. "No worries. Besides, it's time to take the cookies out of the oven," she said pointing to the near-expired timer.

"That it is."

Donning a couple mitts, Pyrrha pulled the over-indulgent cookies out of the oven, and Ruby's eyes went wide with anticipation.

Gratefully, she wrapped Pyrrha in a hug from behind. "Plus fifty Ruby points for you, missy."

Pyrrha smiled.

 _Mission accomplished._

Feeling bold, Pyrrha made a suggestion. "Ruby?"

"Yes?"

"Shall we continue where we left off?"

Tapping her finger against her chin in fake contemplation, Ruby replied. "I'd like that."

Grinning, she lead Pyrrha out of the kitchen with one hand while the other carried the bowl of chocolate.

"Wait, Ruby."

Ruby paused in her tracks. "Yes?"

"Grab the whipped cream."

* * *

Omake:

The next day, as their teams sat around for lunch, Jaune was uncharacteristically quiet. He just sat there. Staring.

 _What do I do?_ He wondered.

 _I've never had this problem before…_

 _Will it be like this for the rest of my life?_

...

"May I ask why you're glaring at your chocolate pudding, Jaune?" Ren said, breaking his leader out of his stupor.

The blonde knight sighed, passing his dessert to a grateful Nora.

 _I can never look at chocolate the same way again._


	7. The Dance

**Hey guys,**

 **I'd like to thank everyone for the support with this story.**

 **Here's a loose timeline regarding the chapters so far:**

 **Ch. 5 (Philosophy of Ruby)**

 **Ch. 7 (The Dance)**

 **Ch. 2 (On Butterflies)**

 **Ch. 3 (Stars)**

 **Ch. 4 (Lingering Petals)**

 **Ch. 6 (Chocolate)**

 **Ch. 1 (Just a Touch of Spice)**

 **Chapter one is more or less during their senior year, while this chapter (Ch. 7) is during their second year. The others are more fluid chronologically.**

 **Anyways, on with the story.**

* * *

The Invincible Girl was nervous.

Was it because of exams? Or perhaps there is a particularly difficult mission on the horizon?

Nope.

"Pyrrha, stop fidgeting. You're going to ruin your dress."

The girl sent Jaune a thin smile.

He sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. He had long given up on taming it anyway. Hopefully Weiss wouldn't chastise him too much.

Jaune turned towards his partner. "You look great, Pyr. Like seriously. Ruby won't be able to take her eyes off you, so just relax and have fun tonight."

Pyrrha looked at herself in the mirror. She wore her usual tiara to accompany her red chiffon dress, a nice piece with simple folds that hugged her athletic figure. A sparkling gold pattern was hand-woven into the dress around her midsection. She smiled.

 _As Yang would say... dayuummm, girl._

Releasing a breath, she thanked Jaune and made final preparations. It was almost time.

* * *

Pyrrha's eyebrows furrowed as she walked through the halls. _I wonder how Ruby is. She's not exactly a fan of pomp and circumstance._

As she and the rest of Team JNPR made their way for the second time in as many years to the ballroom, any further thoughts Pyrrha was having went out the window.

 _.._

…

 _.._

Again Jaune had to intervene. He waved a hand in front of the love-struck hero. "Remnant to Pyrrha. I repeat, Remnant to Pyrrha."

Pyrrha's eyes widened in embarrassment before she straightened herself out. Bracing her heart, she tried again.

There, at one of the bar-top tables, stood her girlfriend. In a revealing black chiffon dress complete with a gorgeous red sash.

She gulped.

 _Yikes. Is this fear I feel? No, surely not. I am a champion. My being knows not of such mortal turbulence._

She gulped again. Noticing the way Ruby's heels accentuated her toned calves.

 _It is clear to me now that, in victory, I have grown soft._

Pushing her trepidation aside, Pyrrha walked towards her girlfriend, feeling for all the world that she was back in primary school.

"H-Hello, Ruby."

Said girl turned, apparently nursing a glass of punch. "Hey there, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha took a deep breath and smiled.

"You look beautiful."

Ruby coughed and spluttered mid-sip. After regaining her bearings, she rubbed the back of her head as a faint blush crept its way up her neck.

"Geez, Pyrrha!" Ruby whined. "I was totally trying to act cool, and then you had to go spring that on me. No fair."

Pyrrha laughed, finally feeling the tension begin to dissipate. She pulled Ruby into a hug, despite the shorter girl's fierce pout.

"I wore this for you, you know."

"Hmm?"

"I'm not like the other girls. I don't have your or Yang's figure, despite all the milk I drink. So I asked Blake for a dress that would make sure your eyes never left me."

Pyrrha was touched, really, but she couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly in response.

"Heh. Well, I think you succeeded."

Ruby hugged her tighter. "Good."

* * *

Looking around, Pyrrha was again impressed with how the event turned out. Ruby's team was free to do as they pleased this time around because CFVY took charge in full, seeing as they were unable to do so last year. Under Coco's design lead, the overall aesthetics were more cohesive (for example, doilies were no longer juxtaposed with extravagant loudspeakers).

But if you asked Pyrrha which year's decorations she liked better, she'd be hardpressed to answer. Their freshman dance was something special after all. She and Jaune become even closer as friends that night, and their team killed it with their dance number. The hours of ruthless training Ren put them through paid off in spades. However, eyeing Ruby, Pyrrha decided that this year's dance was shaping up to be quite special as well.

Or so she thought.

Penny's arrival was not unexpected. Pyrrha was acquainted with the girl, but it would be a stretch to say that they were close. What _was_ unexpected, though, was Penny whisking Ruby off to the dance floor. Ruby caught Pyrrha's eyes, and as the girl was dragged away, she silently mouthed a quick apology. Pyrrha could only smile and shake her head. Shooing Ruby off with her hands, she mouthed a reply.

"I'll catch you later."

* * *

Leaning back into her seat at one of the side tables, Pyrrha checked her scroll. _Twenty minutes…_

At this point, it was safe to say that she was a little frustrated. The redhead gathered that Ruby probably hadn't filled Penny in on her current relationship status, and she also knew that Ruby would explain the rest to her later.

 _But c'mon! This sorta sucks._

Pyrrha put down her phone and watched Ruby lead Penny off the dance floor. They grabbed a couple drinks and headed outside, probably to cool down and chat.

Indeed, Pyrrha was so out of it that she failed to notice a certain blonde brawler take a seat next to her.

"Yo, P-Money."

"I told you to stop calling me that."

"Ouch. That was Weiss of you."

Even though she knew Yang was jesting, Pyrrha softened. "Sorry, Yang."

Said girl waved it off. "Not a problem. I guess even you can brood huh?"

Pyrrha shrugged.

Yang laughed and leaned in close, "You know, times like this call for a drink."

"Uh…" Pyrrha looked towards the main refreshments table.

Yang caught her eyes and corrected her. "Nope, not there. You see that one bowl at the end of the table? That's the one."

Before Pyrrha could ask anything else, Yang flashed her a grin and bounded away back into the throng of dancers.

Shrugging once more, Pyrrha got up to follow Yang's advice. It's not like she had anything to lose.

* * *

"Bleghhhhhhh…"

As Pyrrha emptied the contents of her stomach into a nearby bush, she found that she didn't hate Yang Xiao-Long as much as she should have.

*Start flashback*

At first, the punch wasn't to her tastes at all, but after a few more sips…

 _Mmm. This is delicious! What did Yang put in here?_

Pyrrha quickly downed another serving and chucked her cup behind her, not even wincing at the sound of shattering glass.

 _Now, while I wait for Ruby, who shall I play with? I choose..._

Pyrrha's eyes roamed the ballroom and eventually settled on a mop of blonde hair bobbing alongside a pristine white ponytail.

… _You._

*End flashback*

Ultimately, she danced with almost everyone, even if it meant physically prying them apart from their current partners.

 _Oh, I'll never forget the look on Nora's face…_

Having recovered her bearings, Pyrrha chuckled lightly. She was having fun.

After freshening up in the restroom, Pyrrha returned to the table she originally sat at to rest and to better make her way back to sobriety.

* * *

Eventually, as the girl was contently munching on some snacks, she was approached at her table by Ruby and Penny. The latter rushed forward.

"Salutations, friend Pyrrha! BFF Ruby explained everything to me," Penny paused to bow her head. "I apologize for monopolizing your mating partner. I hope that you can forgive me."

Pyrrha choked. _Mating partner?_

Mechanically, she grasped Penny's extended hand.

"It's okay, Penny. Really. I'm sorry if I put a damper on things. I certainly wasn't helping the situation either." Pyrrha continued, "Next time you visit Vale, I would love to join you and Ruby for an outing. If you'll have me, of course."

Penny's eyes widened, and she grasped Pyrrha's hand with both of hers, nodding furiously.

"It's a date! Well, maybe not a social meeting with romantic and sexual connotations of the kind you and Ruby engage in, but I shall look forward to it nonetheless!"

* * *

After Penny took her leave to say hello to their other teammates, Pyrrha pulled Ruby aside with a hiss.

"What the hell did you tell her?"

Ruby chuckled and scratched her head uncomfortably. "H-Heh. I was trying to explain things to Penny when things took a turn for the weird."

Pyrrha's raised eyebrow prompted Ruby to continue.

"I-It wasn't my fault! She asked me all sorts of hard questions like 'what is the difference between best friendship and romance?' And all I could think of at the time was the whole sex thing! And then I had to explain that too..."

Pyrrha face palmed. "Ruby, don't tell me..."

"Heh. Well, I guess Ironwood and Professor Polendina will be happy that they don't have to give her the ol' talk."

A few seconds passed.

"I need a drink." And with that, Pyrrha went back to the punch bowl, ignoring Ruby's indignant cries.

* * *

All in all, the night turned out to be a successful one in Pyrrha's book. Everyone wished each other well and headed back to their rooms. She had washed up for bed and changed into her pajamas when she heard the tell-tale ping of a message from her scroll. Opening the text, she saw that it was from Ruby.

" _Meet me in the lounge."_

Pyrrha blinked. _Strange..._

She pulled a thin blanket over herself and slipper-shuffled out of the room, making sure to shut the door quietly so as not to wake the other members of her team.

As she made her way to the lounge, she could see a faint glow flickering from the doorway. Upon her arrival, she noticed the two candles which currently provided the only source of illumination. A soft orange glow lit up a good third of the space.

And that's when she noticed the music, followed soon after by a familiar voice.

"May I have this dance, milady?"

Pyrrha smiled.

"Why of course," she said, taking Ruby's hand with a small curtsy.

Ruby giggled as they hugged each other close, rocking back and forth in something that vaguely resembled dancing. It didn't help that Pyrrha wrapped them both in her blanket, making them look like a swaying quilt monster.

The little reaper sighed into Pyrrha's embrace. "I'm sorry again about what happened."

Pyrrha hushed her. "Ruby, I already said it's okay. Besides, I had a grand time in the end."

"I know. But I just can't stand that I caused you even a little bit of distress."

The Invincible Girl laughed. "And that's why I love you."

"Huh?"

"Ruby, you're clueless in many ways," Pyrrha paused to appreciate Ruby's offended face, and she continued. "But you're so attentive when it comes to people's feelings. I love that part of you so much."

Pyrrha smiled as she felt Ruby bury her face in Pyrrha's chest to hide her embarrassment.

"That said, you don't have to be too hard on yourself, love. We're both strong enough to take care of ourselves, and we're both allowed to mess up."

Ruby mumbled in the darkness of waning candle light, "And all that matters in the end is that we're both here together. Right?"

"Exactly. Together."

"Together. I like the sound of that."

"Me too, Ruby. Me too."

And so, a not-so-perfect evening ended with a pretty perfect kiss.


	8. Go

_Ah, it's so warm._

The blue sky stretched quietly across the horizon. A gentle breeze waltzed through the golden wheat, and I laughed as the plants swayed and tickled my legs.

Laughter. Real, boisterous, without-a-care-in-the-world laughter. Oh, how long has it been?

I was running.

No, that wasn't right.

Someone else was there.

" _Silly girl. You're not invincible! You're something so much better."_

 _Ruby?_

We're tumbling now, but I've got her. Like I would ever let her go.

* * *

I'm facing the ocean now. Atop this cliff-side, I feel like I can take on the world.

Heart on fire, I want to shout, though I can't seem to find the words.

 _What is it that I want to say?_

This… feeling. I admit, it is not a bad one. I want to let it out. And yet, I want it to last forever.

 _That aside, whose hand am I holding?_

"PYRRHA NIKOS!-"

 _Ruby?_

"-I LOVE YOU! I love you so so much!"

 _Ah, damn. She beat me to it._

* * *

I'm crying. _Why am I crying?_

"Ruby, it hurts. It hurts so much."

"Shh. I'm here. It'll be okay."

"No! No, it won't… It won't be the same."

"You're right. But it's still going to be okay."

* * *

In a room illuminated only by moonlight, Pyrrha jolted awake. "Ruby! I…"

Pyrrha caught herself. She was in bed. Tears were streaming down her face.

She wasn't alone, though.

And for that, she was grateful.


	9. Pyrrha's Rival

Ruby was uncomfortable.

Not the she was ever truly uncomfortable with Pyrrha's arm wrapped around her waist, but between her girlfriend's stunningly fake smile and Cinder's confident smirk, this situation definitely raised some alarms.

 _What's up with this tension? I thought they were friends…_

As Ruby contemplated her options, she wondered how it got to this point.

It all started a week ago.

* * *

Beacon was abuzz with excitement, and why wouldn't it be? The biannual celebration of all things Remnant was finally here: the Vytal Festival. And with it came the massive floating colosseum, Amity.

Student delegations from all over flooded into the academy, and inter-school mingling was already underway in light of cancelled classes.

All in all, Ruby Rose was a happy camper. Even bumping into visiting students and knocking one of them to the ground wasn't enough to dampen her mood.

 _Wait._

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry about that," Ruby apologized as she helped the girl with mismatched eyes and hair up onto her feet.

 _Pink and brown, huh? I would say that's weird, but my eyes are literally silver, so who am I to pass normative judgement on eye color?_

"Not a problem," said the girl quietly. Her voice was soft, timid. It reminded Ruby of herself.

She stuck her hand out.

"Ah, well, I'll try to be more careful regardless. My name's Ruby. What's yours?"

The small girl grasped it with an unexpectedly strong grip. "Neo."

Ruby smiled. "That's a pretty name."

"Thank you, Ruby." Neo smiled back before she stepped aside to introduce the others in her group. "The angsty teen over here..." she said referring to a certain grey-haired boy, "... is Mercury."

"I think you're confusing me with Emerald, Neo." Mercury smirked and gave Ruby a friendly nod.

The dark-skinned girl with green hair chimed in next. "Ha-freaking-ha. You think you're such hot stuff don't you?" She glanced towards Ruby with an apologetic smile. "Ignore him, Ruby. He's still grumpy after being rejected by a girl from Vacuo."

"Now, listen here, Em-"

"That's enough you two."

At that, the two teens stopped quarreling, which allowed Neo to finish up the introductions.

"And this is our team leader, Cinder."

 _*whistles*_

Ruby slapped herself mentally before shaking the gorgeous girl's extended hand. "It's nice to meet you, Cinder."

"Oh, no, Ruby. The pleasure is all mine."

* * *

Several hours later, Team RWBY, restless and hungry, decided to visit the fairgrounds for some food.

Nestled within the protected forestry, the grounds were a sight to behold. Lines of colorful flags stretched and criss-crossed above the stands, stands which numbered in the dozens ranging from food vendors to shops to games. Ruby, Weiss, Yang, and even Blake collectively grinned.

"Shall we all eat at the same stall or should we split up and reconvene in fifteen?" Weiss asked.

Yang raised an arm, "I vote the latter. I'm not exactly feeling fish right now."

The cat faunus amongst them frowned but nodded in agreement.

"Sounds good to me!" Ruby declared. "Alright, team. We'll meet back up in the dining pavilion. Ready, set, GO!"

And for some reason, the girls did indeed sprint off. Ruby's child-ness is infectious, it seems.

After the girls were finished eating, Ruby spotted a newly familiar team and called them over. "Oh! Cinder! You guys! Get over here so you can meet my teammates." Team CNEM (pronounced Cinema) gladly acquiesced and joined RWBY at their table.

Concluding another round of introductions, Ruby and Cinder sat down and were comfortably conversing by themselves.

"So you guys are second years?" Ruby asked.

"We are. And I assume you yourself are a freshman, Ruby?"

"Yup! But through exception only. I'm two years younger than everyone else."

"Wow. You must be something quite special then."

"Ha. No way. I was just in the right place at the right time."

Cinder smirked. "I'd argue that point, but I have a feeling you're as stubborn as you are humble."

The hooded girl laughed but didn't correct her.

Cinder continued, her overall demeanor softer. "I apologize if this is too personal, Ruby, but I wanted to be sure… You've been doing okay, right?"

Ruby hummed before looking up to meet Cinder's eyes. "Yes. I'll admit, things weren't easy at first, but I lucked out. I managed to make a bunch of new friends, and now it's like I have a family away from home."

Smiling, Cinder placed a hand on Ruby's head. "For some reason, I doubt luck played a role… but in any case, I'm glad to hear that."

Ruby fell silent, content to enjoy the moment as her thoughts drifted inevitably to a certain redhead. That is until she noticed Cinder staring at her.

"Uh… Cinder?"

The older girl looked away, embarrassed.

"You okay?" asked Ruby.

"Yes, I'm fine. I apologize for that. It's just… You have intriguing eyes."

Ruby flushed slightly, still unused to something like that. She rubbed the back of her head. "Heh, well. I suppose they _are_ pretty weird."

Still looking away, Cinder shook her head, raven tresses swinging to and fro. "No, not weird, Ruby. Just different. In a good way."

The little reaper gave her a small, bashful smile. "Ah, I see…"

"Would you care to walk around?"

"Hm?"

"I'm asking if you would like to show me around Beacon and the rest."

"Oh. _Ohhh._ Of course!"

Ruby stood to let her team know what's up. Cinder did so as well. "Emerald, keep an eye on the two troublemakers for me."

"Yes, mam." Emerald replied with a wink.

"Thank you. I'll be back s-Eep!"

And with an unusual display of non-grace, Cinder was whisked away by an excited Ruby Rose.

* * *

A few minutes later, Pyrrha and the rest of her team arrived for some lunch as well. RWBY, sans Ruby, introduced the remaining members of CNEM to them, and things went pretty smoothly from there. Ren made small talk with Mercury while Nora, Jaune, Weiss, and Emerald chatted excitedly. Looking around, Pyrrha asked Yang where Ruby was.

"Oh, she's showing Cinder around the school," Yang said in between teasing Neo about her height.

"Who?"

It was Neo who spoke up. "She's my team leader."

"Ah, I see…"

* * *

Later that week, the end of the tournament was finally here. Two competitors stood in the center of a roaring Amity Colosseum.

"Hello, Cinder."

"Hello, Pyrrha."

The two set their stances, ready to face off against each other for the title of Vytal Champion. As Peter Port's voice counted down, Cinder had one more thing to say.

"No hard feelings?"

Pyrrha nodded. "Of course."

And they were off.

Pyrrha rushed Cinder with a forward thrust using Miló as a sword. Cinder, initially caught off-guard by the aggressive start, barely brought her own swords up in time to properly parry. Recovering quickly, she moved into her opponent's guard, using her right blade to push Miló into the floor as she brought her left down in a brutal overhead strike, only to be met by Akoúo̱ and an attempted leg sweep by Pyrrha.

Cinder brought her leg up to avoid the sweep and bounded back to create separation. She had no time to waste, though, and clasped her swords together to form a bow while using her freed right hand to aura-block a series of shotgun blasts from Miló.

The girl from Haven retaliated and let loose three notched arrows. Pyrrha calmly fired off shots of her own, negating some of Cinder's and allowing her shield to handle the rest. Their ranged battle continued briefly before each took a moment to pause.

The crowd was stunned by the opening minutes of the fight. Both girls were balanced, well-rounded fighters, and they were both suited to taking down human opponents as opposed to cutting down hoards of Grimm, not that they couldn't do that either. Pyrrha brought variety with Miló and the different fighting styles that came with each of its forms, and her excellent footwork combined the immense lower body capacity of Yang or Nora with the nimble flexibility of Ren or Blake. On the other hand, while Pyrrha had the pure physical edge, Cinder brought elegance and cunning. Under a veil of seductive grace, her ruthlessness and intellect set her apart.

Each fighter resumed their stance, and after a single breath, both closed the gap once more.

What followed was a flurry of steel and an occasional flash of colored aura straining under a landed hit. However, it was Cinder's fiery orange aura taking damage more often than not. Pyrrha had begun to work her semblance into the fight, and the difference showed.

The match paused for a second time, giving Cinder a chance to catch her breath. It had been a long time since someone pushed her this much, and the fight was far from over. That being said, she played the percentages as always.

In a shocking display, she threw her metallic weapons out of the arena floor (and out of her opponent's magnetic range), and from her back she summoned an identical pair of swords, the only difference being their glossy black color.

She smirked, preparing for the final push.

 _Let's do this, Nikos._

* * *

And now, here we are.

The two in question continued their staring contest for a good few seconds, but it was the raven-haired beauty from Haven that broke the silence.

"Well, I'd best be off. It was truly a pleasure getting to know all of you," Cinder winked, "Especially you, Miss Rose."

The arm around her waist tightened.

"Oh, and I look forward to our rematch at the next Vytal Festival, Pyrrha. Train hard. These next two years will pass by in the blink of an eye."

As they watched Cinder's curvy form saunter away, Ruby saw Pyrrha finally drop the plastic smile she was wearing.

Before it was replaced entirely with a grimace.

"Ow! Ruby! What was that for?" Pyrrha said, rubbing the spot on her arm Ruby pinched.

"Don't do that, Pyr!"

"But-"

"I know that Cinder was quite... forward. Even so, you have to dial down the knight-in-shining-armor routine."

The taller redhead frowned. "Aren't you the one who's into fairy tales, though? I figured you would have like that."

The girl countered. "Yes, but as it turns out, most of the prince charmings in those stories are douchebags, so please don't go and replicate them." Ruby's eyes softened. "No need to feel jealous, okay? I'll only ever have eyes for you, and if you call the receptionist of my heart, she'll tell you that it's reserved for one Pyrrha Nikos."

Pyrrha laughed. "Okay, okay. My bad. Thank you, Ruby. I'll try my best..."

Ruby smiled.

"... To kick her ass next time I fight her."

*pinch*

"Ow! Dangit, Ruby!"

* * *

Omake (Just Wait):

On the edge of her seat, Ruby watched her friend and girlfriend battle it out. She was excited; she was nervous; and yet, she felt something else too.

Determined.

It wasn't often she felt this way when thinking about Pyrrha, but when faced with this overwhelming display, Ruby couldn't help it. Pyrrha and Cinder and perhaps one or two others stood at the top of their generation. In two years time, it is likely that they would face off once more.

 _But wouldn't it be something if_ _ **I**_ _won instead?_

Shaking her head, Ruby knew that there were more important things regarding her dreams as a Huntress; however, in this moment, she wanted nothing more than to reach the top. Most of all, though…

 _I want to be able to stand next to her._

She wanted to be able to protect Pyrrha as much as Pyrrha protects her.

 _So wait for me, guys. I'll catch up to you soon._

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **In regards to power rankings, remember that this is an AU where 1) Cinder and Neo are years younger than they were in canon and 2) Cinder is without the fall maiden's powers. This was my justification for how the tournament played out.**

 **And about Penny... Yeah, I don't know. I'm still deciding whether she would be a participant, and even if she was, I am unsure if she could get past Cinder or Pyrrha.**


	10. Knowledge

_Dear Diary,_

 _I know it's been a while. Sorry about that. You know how it gets._

 _I'm starting to wonder if I'm getting too old for you. Yang would definitely bust my ass if she knew I still wrote in here, but whatever. I need someone to talk to._

 _It's about Pyrrha._

 _And before you get the wrong idea, things are fine. More than fine, actually. We've reached that point in our lives where people are starting to shack up together (and even have kids)._

 _I know right?_

 _Since when did we get that old? Some of us can't even take care of ourselves, let alone a child. Oh well. You know what they say, after you've seen both the best and worst of your friends, it can sometimes be impossible to imagine them as responsible parents._

 _In any case, life is good. Things are changing, as things are wont to do, and that applies to me and Pyrrha as well._

 _Living together has been great. We'll leave, sometimes separately and sometimes together, but I've really enjoyed having a home to come back to. I'll wait for her, and she'll do the same for me. How lucky am I?_

 _And that's pretty much why I wanted to talk to you, Diary. I've had something on my mind for a while. It's something I would think about occasionally when Pyrrha and I started dating, but now, it's getting hard to ignore. You see, I've been wondering..._

 _When should I ask Pyrrha to marry me?_

 _Eep! I said it! I actually said it! Well, wrote it, but still. It feels good to get that out in the open. Ahem. But yeah, I've been wondering how you know if you're ready for marriage. Does it just sort of happen? Like, one day you're walking and then the next, you're running?_

 _I need something more concrete than that, though… What's the difference between dating and marriage anyway? As far as I can see, nothing much changes. You love them all the same, ring or no ring._

 _I've always thought Pyrrha was the one for me… Wait._

 _That's it._

 _I've always_ _thought_ _that Pyrrha could be my soulmate, but now? I_ _know_ _she is._

 _She's not everything I thought she would be. She's so much more. Pyrrha Nikos continues to both amaze and surprise me, even after all these years._

 _I know marriage isn't easy, Diary, but I think… No, I_ _know_ _I'm up to the task of loving her forever. She deserves nothing less, after all._

 _That being said, does she feel the same way?_

 _Yikes._

 _Well, it looks like I still have some work to do. I think I'll ask the girls for what they think. And Jaune. Maybe._

 _Until next time,_

 _Ruby_

* * *

..

…

..

* * *

Omake:

 _Dear Diary,_

 _She said yes!_

 _-Ruby_


	11. What's Next?

With the Vytal Festival over, things are back to normal at Beacon. Normal, of course, being a relative term. The only thing standing between the students and summer vacation were finals, but most weren't too worried. Of their three classes, Ooblek's exam was the only real concern.

And Ruby studied with Weiss and Pyrrha, so all in all she felt pretty good about her academic standing. However, as she collapsed back onto the training mat covered in sweat and breathing heavily, dissatisfaction ate at her.

 _Gosh, I knew it wouldn't be easy… But I didn't think it would be this hard._

Dragging herself up, Ruby willed herself to the locker rooms in order to change. It was almost time for class.

* * *

Pyrrha watched from her seat as Ruby trekked into the classroom, yawning softly into her hand.

 _So cute..._

She shook her head. _No, bad Pyrrha. This isn't the time for that._

Normally, the redhead wouldn't be too bothered by Ruby being sluggish during class; that said, this was the third morning in a row that Ruby has arrived to their first class looking slightly haggard.

 _And you know what they say, third time's a charm._

But after asking, Ruby merely shook her head, giving Pyrrha a small smile, and stated that she was fine. Setting a mental reminder to herself, Pyrrha decided to talk to her girlfriend's team as soon as she got the chance.

* * *

After classes ended, Pyrrha made her way back into her room to change out of her uniform into something more comfortable.

 _Athletic shorts and a tank top, it is._ She thought as she reached into one of her drawers.

Having changed, Pyrrha indulged in a few minutes of bed rest before getting up to do what she needed to do. She shot Yang a quick text.

" _Hey, Yang. Are you guys back in your room yet?"_

*ping*

" _We sure are, P-$$$."_

Ignoring the nickname once more, Pyrrha typed out a reply. _"I see. Is Ruby there?"_

*ping*

" _Nope. She went out with Weiss for some snacks. Why?"_

" _I wanted to talk with you guys, sans my girlfriend."_

*ping*

" _Gotcha. Well, Blake and I are here, so feel free to head on over."_

Too lazy to send a reply, Pyrrha simply walked out of the JNPR dorm and knocked on the door opposite hers. Yang opened it soon after with a wide smile.

"Glad you could make it."

Pyrrha laughed and stepped inside, waving hello to Blake. "Thanks for having me."

Looking up from yet another book ( _or was it smut?_ ) Blake tilted her head curiously. "So, what's on your mind, Pyrrha? It's not often you want to talk with us purposefully outside of Ruby's knowledge."

Gathering her thoughts, Pyrrha acknowledged the slight rarity of the situation. "It's nothing too serious. I was just wondering if any of you knew why, in the past week or so, Ruby has been abnormally tired in the morning."

Yang rubbed her chin and hummed in thought. "I've been thinking about that too, actually. I didn't pay much mind at first since Ruby would eventually perk back up as the day went on, but you make a good point. It's happened a few days in a row now." The buxom blonde turned to Blake. "You got anything, partner?"

"Well, she has been leaving the dorm earlier lately. By at least an hour. I didn't think much of it for the same reason you did, though. I figured she was probably just studying extra in light of final exams coming up."

Pyrrha frowned. "But she's been doing fine, school-wise. I don't see why she would suddenly increase her already busy workload."

Yang, leaning back in her chair, nodded in agreement. "Well, we can always ask her. Is it okay if we let you handle it, Pyrrha?"

"Leave it to me."

* * *

The next morning, Ruby was back at it.

Not wanting to bother her friends and teammates, she had gone to Ms. Goodwitch for training advice, and the older woman was more than happy to recommend both an initial hand-to-hand combat style and an accompanying training regime.

*Start flashback*

"I'm pleased that you've come for some side-instruction, Ms. Rose. I unfortunately receive less of these requests than I would otherwise like."

"H-Heh. Of course, Ms. Goodwitch. You're our combat instructor after all."

"Indeed. So, as per your question, I believe that you would be best suited towards a style that relies on counter-punching and stamina. You aren't really lacking in any major physical areas; therefore, you should be focused on building and refining the techniques I show you."

Ruby nodded, prompting her teacher to continue.

"Originating in the continent of Anima, the style I want you to aim for, like I said, is meant to wear your opponent down. It's a combination of out-fighter boxing and the martial arts of the region. You don't have the unarmed finishing power of your sister, for example, so this will be your best bet." Assuming a stance, Glynda demonstrated the primary techniques of the discipline: basic punches, elbow attacks, kicking, knee movements, foot-thrusts, and lastly, clinching. Ruby video-recorded all of them on her scroll for future reference.

At the end of their brief private session, Ruby thanked her teacher.

Ms. Goodwitch smiled. "I know you're already busy as is, Ruby, but I think you'll show marked improvement in no time if you practice these moves whenever you can." She paused. "If I may, though, why now?"

"As in why I asked you now that school is almost out?"

Glynda nodded, "Perhaps you wanted something to practice during the break?"

Ruby hummed but shook her head. "While I'll definitely put work in over the summer, that's not really what I had in mind."

"I see. Then what did motivate you? If you don't mind me asking."

The little reaper rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Heh, well… Let's just say watching the finals sparked a fire in me."

The normally strict blond gave Ruby another small smile, nodding her head. "I understand, Ms. Rose." She checked her watch. "It appears that I must take my leave, Ruby. Your _illustrious_ headmaster apparently needs some assistance."

Ruby giggled and waved her off as she exited the classroom arena.

Before she left, however, Glynda reminded her student to come see her again before school let out. And after that day, Ruby looked forward to it.

*End flashback*

Taking a quick break, Ruby sat down on a nearby bench and guzzled some water.

"Let's see… Agility drills, check. Three rounds of shadowboxing, check. On to bag work!"

She was tired, yes, but she was having fun. Punching her gloves together, Ruby pumped herself up for the final sets.

"Let's go, Rose! You can do this!"

* * *

Pyrrha waited quietly by the locker room entrance for Ruby to finish. Smiling fondly, Pyrrha leaned against the doorway, arms folded beneath her breasts.

 _That's my girl._

The Mistral Champion couldn't help but stand there and admire. The initial confusion about why Ruby was training so early in the morning when she was already so strong remained, but as Pyrrha watched her complete yet another round on the sparring bag, pride definitely outweighed any lingering questions for the moment.

* * *

Sighing, Ruby plopped down onto the ground once more, getting ready to stretch some before heading out to classes. She closed her eyes, ready to begin, when she heard footsteps behind her.

"Need some help?"

"Sure, Pyrrha."

Sitting cross-legged, Pyrrha settled down behind Ruby and gently pushed her back so that she could achieve a better stretch. Ruby spoke up, still with her nose touching the ground as she continued to stretch her hamstrings. "Are you not gonna ask why I'm here?"

"I figured you'd tell me eventually."

"..."

"So…?"

"Ugh. You're insufferable."

"Ooh. Big word. Schnee got your tongue?"

"I don't appreciate snark this early in the morning."

"I don't appreciate you yelling 'Take that, Nikos!' as you round-house kicked the bag during your last round."

"... You heard that did you?"

"It was hard not to."

"..."

"So you are gonna tell me?"

Sitting up from her stretch, Ruby turned to face her sassy girlfriend. "You know how I've always wanted to be hero like my mom?"

Pyrrha nodded.

"Like I've said before, I want to protect people against enemies they shouldn't ever have to fight. Now, though? I still want to do all of that, but I have very specific people I want to protect too. One of them being the girl I like… So that's why I'm working harder." Before Pyrrha could respond, Ruby spoke up once more. "Oh, and Ozpin told me that it's important to set concrete goals as well. He said that they act as indicators or check points for you too see if you're making progress towards your dreams. To that end, I've decided that I'm going to be the next Vytal Champion. Better luck next time, Pyr."

Quickly closing her open mouth, Pyrrha formulated a response. "I-I see… Well, I certainly can't fault your logic there..."

"Thanks for understanding, babe."

"... But if you think I'll let you surpass me that easily, then you have another thing coming, Ruby Rose."


	12. Help from an Unlikely Source

" _I need your advice."_

*ping*

" _Oh? Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible Girl herself, is asking me for help?"_

" _Cut the shit, Cinder. Are you game or not?"_

*ping*

" _Is that anyway to ask for a favor?"_

" _... Fine. I'm sorry."_

*ping*

" _Lol. I can't believe you actually apologized. You really are the gullible, trusting type aren't you?"_

Pyrrha stared at her scroll in frustration, unsure whether she should continue to push or just give up. It was Cinder after all. There were others who could offer aid (and with much less sarcasm to boot). A follow-up message from the devious Haven student made Pyrrha's choice for her.

" _Sigh. Alright, I've had my fun. Call me in five?"_

Pyrrha typed a quick response. _"Sounds good."_

* * *

A few minutes later, having made her way outside for some privacy, Pyrrha made the call, and in moments Cinder's contact icon appeared on the screen.

Her annoyingly smooth voice sounded out. "Hello, Pyrrha."

"Cinder."

"So? What's this about, Nikos?"

"I want to become stronger, and I need your advice on how to do so."

"..."

Pyrrha frowned. "Hello?"

"I heard ya, champ. Tell me, why should I help you? Aren't we supposed to be rivals?"

"We are. But correct me if I'm wrong, though, aren't rivals supposed to help each other grow?"

"In some ways, yes. Mutual growth is indeed a part of a good rivalry."

"Exactly. So if we give each other a bit of coaching, we're accelerating each other's growth. Thus, we better the rivalry as a whole."

"..."

"Obviously, we have our friends and teachers, but who better to tell you what you need to work than the person who intends to defeat you?"

Pyrrha could feel Cinder's consternation all the way from Mistral.

With a hefty sigh, the raven-haired teen acquiesced. "Fine. You go first."

Smiling, Pyrrha open fired. "Let's see… In a you-versus-me scenario, I think I have the slight edge physically at the moment. If our fight boiled down to a war of attrition, then my stamina would outlasts yours, so building up your physical attributes would be worthwhile I believe."

After a brief pause, Cinder spoke. "Go on."

"Well, other than that, you have all your bases covered in my opinion. The only other thing I can think of would be to further develop your dust manipulation. You summoned those black glass swords right? I feel like you could easily weave more dust into your clothes and use dust-based moves to augment your swordplay and melee combat."

Another pause.

"Alright, Nikos, I'll admit that your assessment is pretty spot on. I've thought about these things before, but hearing you say it made it all the more clear what I have to do on my end."

Pyrrha smiled. Surprisingly. "Glad to hear it, Cinder."

"Don't think this makes us friends, Invincible Girl."

Another smile. "I won't."

Clearing her throat with a cough, Cinder prepared to deliver her critique. "As for you, there are only a couple things as well. You are a balanced fighter with no clear weaknesses, and your semblance makes you near-unmatched in close-quarters fighting."

This honest praise from her short-time rival surprised the redhead a bit, but in a good way.

Cinder continued, "But we both know that you still have a lot of room to grow in regards to your control over polarity. Subtly shifting your opponent's moves left audiences with the impression you were untouchable in the arena, and I can understand your desire when you were younger to not show off such a powerful semblance. However, don't you think it's time that you started using it more proactively? Instead of using it to complement your attacks, why not use it as an offensive weapon all its own?"

Pyrrha hummed. "I see. You're right. What do I have to lose? The element of surprise, yes-"

"-but the advantages gained would be more than worth it."

Laughing, Pyrrha agreed. "Exactly. Thank you, Cinder."

"Don't ever thank me, Pyrrha. Also, there's one more thing."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"You're predictable."

The Mistral Champion didn't expect that. "Excuse me?"

"Let me explain. I think, because you're the sort of person to put hours and hours of training in, your movements have become ultra-refined. But refined technique isn't always the most dynamic on the battlefield. Usually, it doesn't matter since your opponents can't stop your combinations, but if you were to face someone as strong or stronger, then you'll run into trouble. I know you're creative, so you need to find a way to bring the same creativity you have in the gym out onto the battlefield. Be more fluid. Incorporate some spontaneity into your style."

Pyrrha took a deep breath. "Okay, you're right. About everything."

"Of course am I."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Pyrrha couldn't bring herself to be mad at the girl. "Ha. Alright, Cinder. Thank you for your time. I'll let you g-"

"I'm sorry, for what it's worth."

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry for flirting with Ruby. It won't happen again."

"Oh."

"Just 'oh'?"

"Ah, I mean. I don't really know what to say."

"Nothing else needs to be said, I suppose."

"Perhaps you're right…"

"Well, if that's all for now, I'll be going."

"Wait, Cinder!" Pyrrha all but blurted out.

"Yes?"

"You should come visit."

"Huh?"

"You should come to Vale. I'm sure Ruby would love to see you."

"I don't know, Nikos…"

The Mistral champ suppressed a giggle. "Aw, don't be shy."

"It's not the I'm shy-"

"If it helps, I sort of want to see you too."

"R-Really?"

Pyrrha leaned back against a wall. She couldn't believe she was saying this. "Uh, yeah. Even though I wouldn't admit it at the time, I had a lot of fun fighting you."

"..."

"Cinder?"

"I had a lot of fun fighting you too…"

It was said so softly, Pyrrha didn't quite catch it. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you properly."

More confidently this time, Cinder spoke up. "I said that I enjoyed fighting you as well."

"Ah. I see."

"... So I'll see you around?"

"Definitely."

"Goodnight then, Pyrrha."

"Goodnight, Cinder."

* * *

Sliding back into her seat in the library next to Ruby, Pyrrha sighed, a content smile on her face.

"Where'd you go, Pyr?" Ruby asked, pecking her girlfriend on the cheek.

"Just had to make a quick call on a friend."

Ruby's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You're not cheating on me, are you?"

Pyrrha slapped her arm lightly. "Idiot."

Ruby grinned. "Cookie break?"

"But I just got back."

"Is that a no?"

"... No."

* * *

Omake:

Ruby couldn't help it. It's not that she thought her girlfriend was actually cheating on her, she was just too curious. It's not often Pyrrha scroll-chats with someone for over half an hour.

Typing in the password to Pyrrha's scroll, Ruby took a quick peek into the girl's call history while she was in the restroom.

And let's just say that Ruby had a lot of follow-up questions.


	13. Trappings

Frowning, Pyrrha walked over to the hunched form of her partner. His consternation was palpable, and the way work was strewn all across his desk didn't bode well.

"How's the essay?" She asked, concern evident both on her face and in her voice.

"..."

"That bad huh?"

Jaune nodded.

Pyrrha placed a hand on his shoulder. "We can always go another time."

The blonde shook his head stubbornly. "No, I'll be fine. Once it comes to me, the paper will write itself in no time."

"You said that an hour ago."

Jaune's eyes widened a smidge. "It's been an hour already?" Glancing at the time, he sighed in frustration. "I'm sorry, Pyr. I'm probably gonna need all the time I can get tomorrow to finish this up."

Clamping down on some disappointment, Pyrrha managed an encouraging smile for her friend. "I understand. You're paying next time to make it up to me, though."

"You're pretty stingy for a teenager with a paid sponsorship."

"Watch your mouth, Arc, lest I revoke your free cereal privileges."

And with that, Pyrrha left the room, and Jaune got back to work, a ghost of a smile on both of their faces.

* * *

Humming, the tall redhead walked back to her dorm room. She had decided to get some fresh air in the gardens, and music set the tone quite nicely when she strolled through the moon-lit flowers.

 _Red like roses fill my dreams~_

Removing her earbuds, she turned the corner onto the final hallway, the last song still echoing in her ears.

But she didn't get two steps before bumping into their resident Grimm Reaper.

"Ooph!"

"Kya!" Ruby cried as she recoiled from the shock, but she recovered quickly. "Oh, it's just you, Pyrrha."

"Hello, Ruby."

"Hiya!"

Pyrrha resisted the urge to ruffle the girl's hair. She was just that cute. "So... kya?"

Ruby sputtered, embarrassed. "H-Hey, now. It was your fault."

Raising an eyebrow, Pyrrha asked for elaboration. "How so? You ran into me as much as I did you."

"Yeah, but it's much more jarring to run into you, Pyrrha. You're like the sturdiest and most well-built person I know."

Pyrrha blinked. _Sturdy? I see... Like a shed...  
_  
Ruby's eyes widened when she realized what she had said. She waved her arms frantically. "Oh! No no no, I didn't mean it like that... Well, I did, but not in that way. Ugh. I'm sorry." The stumbling team leader looked away, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that even though I basically described you as a building, you're still like the prettiest building I know."

Laughing, Pyrrha didn't hesitate in patting Ruby's head this time. "Thank you, Ruby." Pausing for a moment, an idea occurred to Pyrrha. "Oh, by the way, are you done with Ooblek's essay?"

The girl nodded, thankful for the change in topic. "Yup, having Weiss around helped a lot as usual. Why?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to go to Vale with me tomorrow. We could do brunch and assess how sturdy and well-built the buildings are downtown."

Ruby frowned, "You're not gonna let me live that down, are you?"

A saccharine grin was the only response.

Ruby sighed, then smiled as well. "That sounds grand."

Pyrrha raised another eyebrow. "That's my line."

"Unlike Pumpkin Pete's, I don't see your name on it."

"... Fair. So I'll pick you up at 9:30?"

"Yup! It's a date!" Ruby said before waving Pyrrha off and zipping through the hall off to wherever she was originally headed to.

 _A date huh..._

* * *

Ruby fidgeted.

Pyrrha had picked her up from her room as promised, and they small talked on their way to the Bullhead. The sky ride down into the commercial district, though, was a bit quiet.

The fact that she was nursing a small crush on the girl next to her didn't help.

 _Sigh. Calm down. We're just two friends going out to eat, and besides, she likes Jaune._ Ruby thought to herself.

Ignoring the subtle way her chest tightened at the thought, she looked at her friend. Still wearing her hair up in a high ponytail, Pyrrha had decided against her normal combat attire and opted instead for a stylish brown leather jacket with a light hood. A cream-colored top and faded jeans completed the ensemble. As always, her emerald green eyes stood out.

 _So pretty…_

Shaking her head, Ruby hoped she herself looked okay. She went with a casual black dress and matching stockings. To cope with the late winter chill, she also donned a thin red overcoat and scarf.

Outfits aside, Ruby racked her brain for more things to talk about. It's not that she and Pyrrha didn't get along. They did. Their similar dispositions went a long way towards them being quite amicable. But that was usually when everyone else was around. This was the first time they went off to do their own thing with just the two of them.

 _Wait… It's not that we don't have anything to talk about, we just don't really know anything about each other yet! That means we're starting from scratch, so I can just keep asking about the basics. It's like Pyrrha 101._

And though the rest of the ride passed in silence, only a couple brief comments on the weather between them, Ruby calmed down a bit. All was not lost.

* * *

"... and that's how I won my third Mistral Tournament by tripping my opponent."

"Wow," Ruby said. "That's amazing."

"Was it?" Pyrrha asked, confused by Ruby's earnest reaction. "I thought it to be more humorous than anything."

The smaller redhead winked at her friend. "That too."

Pyrrha laughed and gently nudged Ruby's shoulder with her own. It always surprised her how outgoing Ruby could be when she was comfortable.

They were currently walking alongside some water towards their brunch spot. Compared to some of the newer parts of Vale, the girls found themselves treading on aged wood planks. Wrought iron benches and street lanterns lined their pathway, adding to the old-timey feel of the place. Pyrrha enjoyed coming here, even moreso now with her current companion.

As Ruby concluded her account of when Yang's semblance almost burnt their house in Patch down, Pyrrha stopped their progress with a light pull on Ruby's hand.

"This is the spot."

Ruby smiled up at her. "Here already huh? I guess time really does fly when you're having fun."

Returning the little reaper's grin, Pyrrha held the door open, making sure to be especially grandiose as she did so. "Shall we, milady?" She said with a slight bow.

Ruby giggled as she stepped into the restaurant, a slight blush on her cheeks despite herself.

* * *

The restaurant was an old-school cafe. Good food and service but in a relaxed atmosphere. Perfect for a couple introverted Beacon students.

"I love this place already," Ruby said softly as their waitress led them to their table.

They were seated outside on the veranda in full view of the waterfront. The chill was kept at bay by the outdoor heaters the cafe had set up.

"Right?" Pyrrha replied as they were seated.

"Any recommendations?"

"How hungry are you?"

Ruby hummed. "Honestly? I'm starving. I may end up ordering more than the usual brunch customer."

The older Huntress laughed. "That's fine. I'm in the same boat actually." Pyrrha scanned the menu briefly. She needn't look long, though, seeing as she's been here a few times already. "I know what I want, but no rush. I have a few favorites, though anything you order will be delicious."

"Thanks, but I'm ready." Ruby politely waved to their waitress, calling her over.

"What will it be, young misses?"

At Pyrrha's beckoning, Ruby went first. "I'll have the scrambled eggs with smoked salmon on brioche. And a strawberry tart."

The waitress smiled and then nodded towards Pyrrha.

"I'll have the avocado toast with poached egg and an apple-almond tart."

Nodding again, the waitress asked one more thing before heading off to prepare their orders. "Any drinks besides water, you two?"

"Hot chocolate, please."

"And a cappuccino for me."

"Very good, young misses. I shall be back with your food and drink shortly," said their server before walking away to prepare the order.

"She was nice," Ruby said.

Pyrrha agreed. "She was. The staff always takes really good care of its customers."

Sighing, Ruby rested her chin on her hand as she leaned forward on the table. Their outing may have started a bit slowly, but right now, Ruby was completely relaxed. She got to learn a little bit about Pyrrha and her time at Sanctum, and she was about to chow down on amazing food.

The weather was beautiful too. Ruby could see the waning winter winds carry brown and orange leaves to and fro, but she and Pyrrha were perfectly toasty within the heated veranda.

It was all just so… nice.

"Thanks for taking me here, Pyr."

Pyrrha smiled. "Of course. Maybe next time you could take me to one of your favorite places, Ruby."

"I'd like that."

* * *

The walk back from the cafe was quiet, but unlike earlier, Ruby and Pyrrha were content to simply enjoy each other's company... that is until Ruby decided to put her foot in her mouth.

"So how's it going with Jaune?"

Pyrrha stopped. "What?"

"I was wondering if you and Jaune have made any progress," Ruby said, not turning around to face Pyrrha.

"Uh… You do know that I don't have a crush on him anymore, right?"

That got Ruby's attention.

She spun around so quickly a few rose petals materialized. "What?! When did that happen?"

"Well, it was gradual, but I'd say that I fully realized it before winter break."

"Huh…" said Ruby, still slightly gobsmacked. "You okay?"

Pyrrha tilted her head. "I am. Truthfully, I think Team JNPR is all the better for it. Jaune and I's relationship is more natural now, and Nora and Ren don't have to watch on awkwardly anymore." The prize fighter rubbed her chin deviously. "Now, if only I could get those two together-together already."

Having finally snapped out of her stupor, Ruby responded. "Gotcha. Well, as long as you all are happy."

"We are."

And the way Pyrrha said it removed any remaining doubt from Ruby's mind.

As they continued their walk back to the Bullhead, Pyrrha spoke up. "You know, all I've ever wanted was real, genuine friends, and when I found them, I realized that romance could wait. I was just that happy to be with you all."

"..."

Pyrrha looked up, surprised that she was unable to locate her date.

"Ruby…? Ooph!" Pyrrha stumbled forward slightly as Ruby hugged her tightly from behind.

Despite the sound being muffled due to Ruby's face pressing up against her back, Pyrrha heard her friend's words loud and clear.

"I'm happy that you're happy, Pyrrha."

The Invincible Girl wrapped her arms around the ones clinging to her midsection. "Thank you, Ruby."


	14. Going for a Run

It was Friday afternoon, and the girls were engaged in one of their favorite leisurely pastimes: couching.

With her head resting on Pyrrha's thigh, Ruby looked up. "I'm gonna go on a run with Weiss tomorrow morning. You wanna come with?"

Setting her book to the side, Pyrrha paused for consideration. "I'd love to, if it's okay with the ol' Ice Angel."

"She'll be fine with it, so long as you don't mention that nickname."

Pyrrha chuckled and resumed her light reading (a recommendation from Blake, as it were). A few pages later, a thought occurred to the Vytal runner-up. "Would you mind if I invited Ren as well? He also wanted to improve his stamina, so I feel like he and Weiss would be good workout partners since they have similar goals for this year."

"Sure!" Ruby replied, still playing a game on her scroll. "The more the merrier."

* * *

And so, a pristine and quiet morning in the Emerald Forest was interrupted by a group of rowdy teenagers.

"Hey, Weiss! How does it feel to be slower than Jaune?" called Ruby from the front of the pack.

"Shut it… phew… you dolt! Besides, Jaune improved a lot during our freshman year," Weiss yelled/wheezed from the back.

"Aw… Thanks, Weiss."

"Quiet, Arc!"

"Eh…?"

Pyrrha and Nora shared a laugh as they trailed behind the redheaded speedster. "It's not fair how she has both a speed semblance and ridiculous endurance," said Nora, wiping some sweat from her brow. Glancing up ahead, the Valkyrie frowned. Ruby looked like she was lightly jogging, as opposed to the relatively heavy running the others seemed to be doing.

Trying to keep the proud smirk of her face (her Ruby was awesome after all), Pyrrha replied. "Well, she can't really help her semblance being what it is, but she worked hard for everything else. Out of all of us, her physique is most like that of a racer."

"Yes, yes. We all know how much you love her _physique_ , Pyrrha."

Hoping that the workout perspiration was hiding her blush, Pyrrha attempted to jostle the shorter girl, only to realize that Nora must have sensed the imminent danger and took off ahead with a burst of speed.

Narrowing her eyes, Pyrrha gave chase.

* * *

Minutes later, the running party slowed to a stop.

"Break time!" Ruby voiced loud enough for everyone to hear. "We'll stop here before we get too deep into the forest. We don't want to run into any Grimm while we're not fully armed."

While the others took a breather, Yang walked over to her sister. "I feel like you could handle at least one Beowolf with your bare hands now, though, Rubes."

"Mmm, maybe."

Pyrrha spoke up. "I've been meaning to ask you about that, Ruby. You continued training over the summer with your dad and Yang right?"

Turning to address her girlfriend, Ruby nodded. "Yup."

"I look forward to seeing your progress then."

"Why not see it now?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Smirking, Ruby goaded Pyrrha on. "How bout a quick spar while Weiss-cream catches her breath?"

"Hey!"

Pyrrha smiled, noting the competitive glint in Ruby's eyes. Zoning herself in for a quick beat-down, er.. spar, Pyrrha lifted herself off the ground and walked towards the small clearing where Ruby stood ready. Tapping their fists together signaled the start of their practice round.

Stepping back, Pyrrha allowed Ruby to throw the opening sequence, not expecting anything drastically different from their spars before summer break. And boy, the Invincible Girl was in for a surprise.

Pyrrha assumed that Ruby would keep her distance and use her leg strength to her advantage, but the shorter girl rushed in close. Two jabs forced Pyrrha's blocks downward, and Ruby tried to follow up with a cross and right hook aimed at Pyrrha's jaw. The Mistral champion was undeterred, however, and brought her hands up in time to protect her face. After a left inside leg kick and another attempted right hook, Ruby pushed away, allowing Pyrrha to recover and respond.

Pyrrha opened with a jab followed by a purposefully weak left cross. Ruby, distracted by her opponent's open guard, didn't notice Pyrrha's powerful right hook before it was too late. The small girl stumbled back from the hit, then nodded to continue. Pyrrha pressed on with one of her favorites: a jab-cross start with a lead uppercut from the left. Lastly, as her body was rotated clockwise, Pyrrha rose up and threw a powerful right cross that drove through her girlfriend's block.

Staggering back, Ruby once again nodded. Pyrrha's eyes softened ever so slightly. "You sure?"

"Yup."

"Okay then."

As soon as those words left Pyrrha's mouth, Ruby was on the offensive. She closed in again with a jab, cross, and left leg body kick. Pyrrha took it in stride, but was surprised once more as Ruby quickly put some distance between them and open fired. Another left inside kick was followed by a cross, hook, and a ridiculous roundhouse kick to Pyrrha's mid-section. She even heard a few winces from the audience that had gathered. The Invincible Girl didn't have time to recover, though, as Ruby rocked her with a jab-right knee-left elbow combo.

Before Pyrrha had a chance to get back into it, Yang broke it up.

"Alright, you two. That's enough for now," she said stepping in between them. "Save the rough-housing for the bedroom… Or not. Yeah, definitely not. Forget I said that." Coughing awkwardly, Yang threw Ruby a water bottle to share with her partner.

"Thanks, Yang." Ruby said gratefully.

"No prob, sis. You ready to head back?"

"Yup!"

As Ruby turned towards the rest of the group, she was caught off-guard by their collectively slack jaws. "What?" she asked, confused.

Weiss spoke for them. "When the hell did you learn how to do that?"

"Oh, you know. Over the summer."

Blake whistled, "Damn, Ruby."

"Heh, thanks, Blake. It's not a big deal. Between Goodwitch, Pyrrha, and my family, I had a lot of help," Ruby said bashfully.

"Why was I not informed of this?" demanded Weiss, hands on her hips. Ruby laughed nervously. "Ah, well… I was going to surprise you?"

"You just forgot to tell me didn't you?"

"My bad."

"Tch. So those early mornings towards the end of the semester when you would leave the room?"

"Training."

Weiss pinched Ruby's side. "Idiot. You had me worried for no reason when you were so lethargic in Port's class for a week or so."

Any ill will from the pinch dissipating, Ruby hugged Weiss's arm tightly before landing a chaste kiss on her best friend's cheek. "Thanks for worrying about me, Weiss."

And though the Schnee heiress tried her best to respond with a glare, she couldn't keep a smile from appearing. Sighing, she ruffled her team leader's hair. "You looked good out there, Ruby."

"Thanks, Weiss. I've been working hard."

Linking their arms together as they walked back, Weiss gave Ruby another smile.

"I can imagine."

* * *

Omake:

As the group of teens walked back to the school, Ren held a hand up, causing everyone to freeze. "I sense something, and it's close. Be ready."

Ren summoned Stormflower (despite wearing short sleeves); Blake whipped out the hunting knife she had strapped to her thigh; Yang readied her fists, deadly weapons in and of themselves; and the rest were on their toes, eyes narrowing in anticipation.

And before they knew it, it hit them.

"From above!" someone managed to yell out. The crew scattered, a crater of shattered earth now appeared where they were all standing a moment earlier. And as the smoke cleared, a lone figure was revealed.

He had a moustache. He was also shirtless.

"Gah! My eyes!" screamed Weiss as she shielded her face.

"Ohohoho! Look what we have here! I see that you all are returning from a morning run. On a weekend no less! Indeed, these are the trappings of excellent huntsmen," said Port, whose boisterous voice was a stark contrast to the serene environs.

Pyrrha stepped forward. "Professor?" she asked, hand tentatively raised.

"Yes, my child?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Why, I was testing the launch pads of course!"

"I see… But why are you shirtless?"

* * *

 **Timeline:**

 **Ch. 13 = Trappings**

 **Ch. 9 = Pyrrha's Rival**

 **Ch. 11 = What's Next?**

 **Ch. 12 = Help from an Unlikely Source**

 **Ch. 7 (sophomore year) = The Dance**

 **Ch. 14 = Going on a Run**

 **Ch. 2 = On Butterflies**

 **Ch. 3 = Stars**

 **Ch. 4 = Lingering Flowers**

 **Ch. 8 = Go**

 **Ch. 5 = Philosophy of Ruby**

 **Ch. 6 = Chocolate**

 **Ch. 1 (senior year) = Just a Touch of Spice**

 **Ch. 10 (post-Beacon) = Knowledge**

 **Bear in mind that this timeline is flexible. Based on my general outlines, this should be how things have played out; however, I may have written small details in the chapters that would lead the reader to think otherwise. If this is the case, feel free to let me know so I can fix the discrepancy.**

 **Peace,**

 **Iota Xi**


	15. Three Nights

The First Night:

"Even after all these years, you're still the cutest thing."

Ruby looked up, eyebrow raised despite her impish smile. "What are we, old people?"

Pyrrha hovered over her on the bed, unkempt red hair cascading around Ruby's face. She leaned down to press a soft kiss against her girlfriend's lips, which tasted faintly of strawberry candy. "Not yet," she said, "But that's the goal."

"Ha. I have a feeling we'll get there, despite the occupational hazards."

"Well, yeah. We're the champion and the prodigy."

Ruby smirked. "Aren't I a champion now too?"

Rolling off to the side, Pyrrha huffed. "I see that you're still bragging about that."

"What do you mean 'still'? Our future children absolutely _must_ know the epic tale of how their strong, beautiful, _humble_ mother defeated the Huntress touted as invincible and became the Vytal Champion!" said Ruby, arms outstretched for maximum showboating effect.

Pyrrha shifted to give Ruby a glimpse of her unamused face. "That 'Invincible Huntress' is me, ya know."

"I'm sure the kids will still love you."

"I hate you."

"Not in front of the kids, Pyrrha. You know how impressionable young minds are."

Eye twitching, Pyrrha shifted once more so that her back faced Ruby in a passive-aggressive show of pseudo-anger, to which Ruby simply replied by wrapping toned arms around her. Pyrrha sighed contently.

Before a devious smile appeared.

Slowly, the full redhead brought Ruby's hand up and placed one of her fingers in her mouth. Ruby gasped as Pyrrha's tongue swirled.

"P-Pyrrha! What are you doing?" Ruby said hurriedly.

Resuming her position hovering above Ruby, Pyrrha smiled coyly… and dove down to capture Ruby's lips in another kiss, but this time, it was much fiercer. Pyrrha softly held Ruby's head in place as she plundered the girl's mouth. The girl in question got the memo and accepted her fate.

Returning her lover's passion, Ruby roamed her hands all across Pyrrha, bringing her closer. She absolutely loved the feeling of the Amazon's body against hers.

Ruby's moans turned into a light gasp as Pyrrha teased Ruby's bottom lip with her tongue. Ruby opened her mouth invitingly, and just as things were about to take a turn for the sexier, Pyrrha rolled off of her, snuggled herself in the blanket, and went to sleep.

* * *

The Second Night:

The next day proceeded normally, and the girls once again found themselves getting ready to sleep.

As Pyrrha closed her book for the evening (another recommendation from Blake), Ruby mumbled incoherently. Turning to face her, Pyrrha asked her what she had said.

"I said that I'm still irked about last night."

Laughing, Pyrrha ruffled Ruby's hair. The messy tresses looking out of place paired with the fierce silver-eyed pout.

"All's fair in love and war, Rubes… But yeah, it won't happen again."

Ruby smiled, nestling into the crook of Pyrrha's neck.

And then it happened. Again.

* * *

The Third Night:

The younger girl was not pleased as the third day came to a close, and she expressed her displeasure accordingly.

Indeed, Ruby didn't give her girlfriend a chance to sleep that night, not that Pyrrha complained.


	16. A Helping Hand

"Well, this is…"

"... weird, unexpected, surreal?"

"Yeah, that."

Yang snapped. "Are you two gonna help me or not?"

"Oh, stop your fretting, dear sister. We're only teasing."

Nudging Ruby with her elbow, Pyrrha couldn't resist one last cheap shot. "Admittedly, I do find this role reversal sort of hilarious." The Invincible Girl chuckled, much to Yang's chagrin.

"I'm leaving. Blake's not ideal for romantic advice, but she's probably better than nothing."

Ruby pulled her sister back down to the floor before she could get away, though. "Okay, okay. We're done. Promise. Now tell us what's on your mind."

Sighing, Yang repositioned herself on the floor and squared up to address the two girls opposite her.

"It's about Neo."

Pyrrha nodded, putting on her best psychiatrist face. "Mhm. Go on."

"... Well, I think I like her."

Ruby nodded next. "I see. Continue."

"That's it."

Falling over, Ruby sighed exasperatedly. "You're kidding me, sis. How are you so bad at expressing your own feelings? It's obvious that you're worried about one and/or two things: whether Neo reciprocates your feelings and whether a long-distance relationship can work."

The blonde's eyes widened. "W-Whaaa? How did you know?!"

"Yang, I'm introverted, not an idiot."

"No one said you can't be both, though," interrupted Pyrrha.

Frowning, Ruby ignored her lover's remark. "I'm going to level with you, Yang. You're in a tough spot."

"Gee, thanks, Rubes."

Pyrrha spoke next. "She's only being honest, Yang. But I think Ruby and I both agree that you should start by talking to Neo first. In regards to the first issue, you can either open up to her now and get it off your chest, or wait and see if you're feelings hold or fade."

"The former is probably you're best bet, though. As your sister, I'd like to think I know you pretty well, and if I had to guess, I'd say that your feelings won't wear off anytime soon," said Ruby, "So it's better to put them out in the open now rather than suppress them and have that permeate all your interactions with her."

Sighing, Yang allowed herself to fall back, not even caring as her hair splayed out over the floor.

"If it helps, we're pretty sure Neo likes you too," said Pyrrha softly.

With her arm over her eyes, Yang gave a small smile. "Thanks, Pyr. But let's say I talk to her, and it all works out. What happens then? Do we do the whole long-distance thing or not?"

"That's the hard part," Ruby responded. "Pyrrha and I only really know what it's like to be apart for a bit during the summer, but just based off that, I feel like long-distance can be tricky. So even if both people feel the same, it's not something I can recommend without reservation."

Humming in thought, Pyrrha contributed a different point. "I agree with Ruby, but the thing is, she and I are used to having each other around. I know you miss Neo, Yang, but you're more-or-less accustomed to her not being around all the time right?"

Still on the floor, Yang nodded.

"... So it'll be different for you two." Pyrrha paused to gather her thoughts. "I'm going to propose something, and I want you guys' thoughts on it."

Pulling herself up again, Yang looked at Pyrrha and motioned for her to continue. Ruby did the same.

"Why don't you and Neo go on a trial run?"

"So we should just let the chips fall where they may?"

Ruby slapped her fist on her palm, a lightbulb moment having struck her. "Ohhh. I gotcha… Yeah, that's pretty much it, Yang. Spill the romantic beans to each other, but don't fully commit to anything yet. I know it sounds like you guys will be in that relationship grey area, but that may be the best option for now. After a while, you two can talk it over again and decide to either keep going or cut it back because it may not be the right time. In any case, though, you won't be risking too much, but you'll be able to see if it'll work out."

Yang frowned. "I don't know, guys…"

Pulling Yang in her a brief hug, Pyrrha tried her best to communicate her support. "Honestly? We don't know, either. As much as Ruby and I would like to be more confident in our advice, life and love aren't so simple. There's no guidebook, no simple answers, but that's what friends are for right?"

When Pyrrha released Yang from her embrace, Ruby scooted next to her and slung an arm around her big sister's shoulders. "Pyrrha's right. Again, I'm sorry we can't be of more help, Yang, but we just don't want to lead you astray."

In a rare moment where Yang found herself being comforted by Ruby, the blonde brawler let her head rest against the young girl. "Thanks, guys. Really. I'll take what you've said into account, but ultimately, I have to make a decision."

"That's right," Pyrrha said. "But just remember, even though the decision is yours alone to make, we'll all be here to support you both before and after you choose what to do."

Yang smiled at that. "I know. Thanks again, guys."

Ruby and Pyrrha smiled back, ignoring the stray tear that Yang rubbed away with her arm.

She stood up, looking for all the world like the confident Yang Xiao-Long they've grown accustomed to. "Well, I'm gonna go work out a little, let out some pent up energy, ya know?" Yang made towards the door, but before she left, she had one last comment. "I still can't believe that it was me coming to you two for relationship advice. Since when did y'all become the local experts on love?"

Ruby laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head. "Oh… well, you know…"

Grinning, Yang waved them off and closed the door behind her. It was obvious she was in a much better mood. Finding answers (even when they're not perfect) can really do a lot when you're down.

* * *

The two girls remaining in the room turned to look at each other.

"Well, that went better than I expected," said Ruby.

Pyrrha frowned. "I feel bad. We totally pulled all of that out of our asses just now."

The other girl shrugged. "Eh, it sorta made sense in retrospect. That's all the matters."

"That's awfully nonchalant of you."

"Oh, hush. I'm not Weiss. I don't have an answer prepared in advance for every possible question."

Pyrrha sighed. "I suppose so. I just hope it all works out for Yang."

"It won't."

"What?! How could you say that?"

Ruby kept a level voice. "Like you said, life isn't so simple. Yang and Neo will definitely make some mistakes, but I believe in them. They'll find a way. Whether that way is through friendship or romance has yet to be seen, but things will work out."

Pyrrha smiled and gave Ruby a brief kiss.

"I suppose you're right."

"Aren't I always?"

"Careful, Rose…"

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **This chapter is predicated by the brief mention of Neo x Yang in Chapter 9.**


	17. Stealing Glances

Pyrrha released a content sigh as she leaned back against her support. It was spring at Beacon, which tended to be a nostalgic time for her. Spring is when she and Ruby first got together after all, so little things like the gardens coming back to life and the warm, gentle breeze… To put it simply, it made her _feel_. It was like her whole being opened up and blossomed right along with the environment. Her heart soared much more easily, but she guessed that was to be expected of young love. Spring also brought about more romantic contemplation. As such, Pyrrha closed her eyes in thought.

 _Looking back, even before Ruby knew that I didn't have feelings for Jaune, I guess we were still dancing around each other weren't we…?_

Though it was a while before they spent time together one-on-one, Pyrrha knew that she and Ruby had a certain chemistry. _Or perhaps it was more of a prelude to chemistry?_ In any case, Pyrrha fondly recalled some of the little moments she and Ruby shared leading up to their best friendship and eventual romance.

Enthusiastic smiles and greetings. Shared glances when (they thought) no one was looking. Things like that. Pyrrha smiled at the remembrance of it all.

Of course, the personal doubts that precluded their relationship were nothing to scoff at, but the time overall was undeniably exciting. Whether or not either of them realized it, they were building up to something, something good. Something that would last a lifetime.

What about now, though?

 _That_ , the redhead wondered, _is a good question._ They were undeniably in love, and they were happy. _But is the excitement still there?_ Turning her head, Pyrrha looked at the girl she was leaning against back-to-back. Her head was tilted towards the sky, and her red-tinted brunette hair shifted gently with the breeze.

At that moment, the Mistral Champion had her answer. After all this time, the way her heart smiled at the mere sight of Ruby gave Pyrrha all the certainty she needed.

 _Are things as intense as when we first started dating? No, of course not. Back then, we were building up to something. It was like we were trying to ignite a flame. Our emotions, thoughts, actions… They were frenzied, passionate, and in complete disarray._

 _Now, however, what we have is akin to a steady fire. Rather than scorching love, we're sort of just… warm. And that warmth permeates all the we are and all that we do._

Pyrrha paused. Something was off. There had to be more to it than that. Love, the redhead believed, can't be encapsulated by a simple fire metaphor.

 _We're still growing, not only as individuals, but as a couple. So maybe we no longer have to spark a flame, but we can still add fuel to the fire. Getting a fire started doesn't necessarily mean that said flame will just go steady. It too will ebb and flow; though Ruby and I will make sure it will continue to get bigger. And that's where the excitement, the growth comes in again._

Pyrrha nodded, proud of herself. She's managed to figure something out! Sure, maybe not as well or as eloquently as Weiss could have, but still. _I was being silly. Ruby and I still have a long way to go, and I'm looking forward to it._


	18. Stealing Glances Omake

**A/N: This chapter is an omake for Stealing Glances (Ch. 17).**

* * *

It was that time of day again. Slumping over her desk, Ruby swore she could feel her soul leaving as she struggled to remain conscious. Looking around, the feeling was definitely mutual. Even Weiss, who has always maintained an academic closeness to Port, was on her last leg.

The young leader appreciated her professor. She really did. But despite her love for stories and fairy tales, Port's anecdotes killed her. Ruby needed… something. Anything, really, to distract her from her boredom.

She scanned the room again, and a certain redhead caught her eye. Pyrrha was the absolute picture of an attentive student. Back straight, taking notes, etc. However, the way her eyes glazed over belied her true state of mind.

Ruby laughed softly into her hand. _That's so like her. She's trying so hard not to hurt Port's feelings._

Soon after, though, the laughter came to a halt as Pyrrha shifted her attention towards Ruby. _Crap. She saw me._

But Pyrrha only smiled.

 _Huh_ , Ruby thought, _I am now officially distracted._

* * *

As Team JNPR walked to the dining hall, Pyrrha and Ren strode behind the other two members of their group, who were currently engaged in heated debate.

"Nora, for the last time, I really don't think sloths go 'boop.'"

"And how would you know that, Jaune? Have you ever heard what a sloth says?"

"Well, no… But-"

"Aha!" Nora exclaimed, pointing nowhere in particular for added effect, "So you're saying there's a chance."

Jaune frowned and looked back for support… only to see Ren averting his eyes and Pyrrha giving one of her trademark "no fucks given" smiles.

Leaving a mental note to reprimand the traitors later, Jaune turned just in time for Team RWBY to pass them in the hallway, having just eaten. Jaune fired first.

"Hey, Weiss."

"Greetings, Arc."

Jaune raised an eyebrow at the girl's stiff response, and the girl in question smirked before correcting herself. "Hey, Jaune."

"That's better."

Pyrrha giggled at the exchange. She was glad those two were getting along.

And she was also glad for her own recent social developments.

As the two squads parted ways, Pyrrha made sure to shift positions in order to give Ruby a quick high five. And if anyone noticed how the two redheads' hands stayed in contact for far longer than necessary, then they didn't say anything.

* * *

Ruby smiled to herself. She had successfully asked for and received Pyrrha's number. However, while she felt accomplished, Ruby's heart frowned ever so slightly.

 _We're just friends… so why was I so nervous asking for her number? And why was I so happy to get it?_

 _Maybe I should send a quick text._ That way, Ruby thought, the novelty would wear off and platonic feelings would return.

And that's exactly what she did.

But Ruby did not expect Pyrrha to have taken a selfie with her phone and then set it as her contact photo. What made matters worse was how cute the picture was.

* * *

Meta-Omake:

Years later, Ruby still enjoyed looking at that very first selfie from Pyrrha. It was rushed and off-center, and she had a slight blush. But there was an undeniable twinkle in the Invincible Girl's eyes that never failed to brighten Ruby's day when she saw it.

 _We've come a long way since then, and thankfully, we still have a long way to go._


	19. Can't Sleep

Pyrrha tossed and turned in her bed. It appeared that sleep was determined to elude her tonight. So, like teenagers everywhere, she turned to her phone.

[P] _"Hey, you up?"_

[R] _"We're four hours behind you guys at Mistral, so yes, I'm up."_

[P] _"So salty..."_

[R] _"I am not salty."_

[P] _"I can season my food with you. That's how salty you are."_

[R] _"Sigh. So what's up, Pyr?"_

The Champion shifted onto her stomach and typed a response, her legs kicking back and forth.

[P] _"I can't sleep, so I figured I'd bother you instead."_

[R] _"Well, bother away then."_

[P] _"Bother, bother, bother."_

Pyrrha giggled a bit at her own silliness. Only Ruby Rose could elicit this side of her.

[R] _"Oh, look at me. I'm so bothered."_

[P] _"Understandable. I have that effect on people."_

[R] _"I can attest to that."_

[P] _"... Go bother yourself, Ruby."_

[R] _"I'd rather have you bother me, if you know what I mean."_

The taller redhead shifted once more in her bed. Not because she was uncomfortable, mind you. She just happened to recall a particularly spicy escapade with Ruby.

[P] _"..."_

[R] _"Please tell me that didn't just turn you on…"_

[P] _"It didn't."_

[R] _"Pyr…"_

[P] _"Well, maybe a little."_

[R] _"Should I give you a moment?"_

[P] _"Nah, I'm good."_

[R] _"If you say so…"_

A few minutes passed before Pyrrha replied. _"I miss you."_

[R] _"That's just the hormones talking."_

[P] _"No, really. I'm serious."_

[R] _"Oh."_

That… was not the response Pyrrha was hoping for.

[P] _"Just 'oh'?"_

[R] _"Lol jk. I miss you too."_

[P] _"Suave as ever, Rose."_

[R] _"Would it help if I elaborated on how much I miss you?"_

[P] " _... Maybe."_

[R] _"Well, okay. As I said before, I miss you, Pyrrha. Like a lot. Like a lot a lot."_

The Mistral native smiled as she felt a familiar warmth appear. Ruby always managed to make her feel this way.

[P] _"... Go on."_

[R] _"I miss cuddling with you in bed or on a couch. I miss hugging you after a long day. I miss our dates. I miss having someone to share amazing moments with…_

At this point, Pyrrha was not at all ashamed of her sudden tears. Now sitting up with her legs crossed and a blanket wrapped around her, she wiped her eyes and continued reading.

 _But most of all, I miss how I feel when I'm with you. I love you so much, Pyrrha Nikos, and I'm counting down the days until I get to see you again."_

And… cue the tears.

[P] _"Ruby…"_

[R] _"In the meantime, though, let's do our best okay? Rather than be sad that someone isn't there, let's look forward to returning to that someone instead."_

Pyrrha smiled and wiped her eyes. Again. _"Aye. I'll drink to that."_

[R] _"You hardly ever drink…"_

[P] _"Don't ruin the moment."_

[R] _"I'm the one who created this moment, so it is well within my rights to destroy it."_

[P] _"You're going to be a great parent, Ruby."_

[R] _"Thanks, Pyr."_

[P] _"Heh. Jokes aside… It should be me who's thanking you."_

[R] _"Whaaa?"_

[P] _"For cheering me up."_

[R] _"You don't have to thank me for that, Pyrrha."_

[P] _"Shut up, and accept my gratitude, you dolt."_

[R] _"Have you been hanging out around Weiss again?_

 _Sheesh… Fine."_

" _That's my girl."_ Pyrrha yawned, finally ready to fall asleep. _"Mkay, I think I'm about to check out, Rubes."_

[R] _"Ha. Sounds good. Sleep tight, love."_

[P] _"You too."_


	20. Take Flight

"That's... That's just not fair."

"Aren't you the one who said they'll beat me in the next Vytal Festival?"

"I said I'll win, which doesn't necessarily entail me defeating you. But yeah, same difference."

"So you have no right to complain."

"I know... But c'mon! You're _flying_."

Pyrrha smirked and lowered herself back down to earth, both literally and in terms of the sheer amount of smugness she was exuding. It's not everyday you learn how to fly after all.

Sure, she may have struggled at first. Learning to use her semblance on not just on her heels but also on her bracers to improve in-air stability took a while, as did the fine-tuning required for knowing how to adjust polarity strength appropriately as she moved about. And sure, she may have been keeping all the practice secret from Ruby for the last couple weeks, but at this point, they all were doing some "super secret training", so who really cared anymore? Amongst their friend group, if you went off in secret for a few hours and no one could find you, then it was safely assumed that you were doing whatever shady stuff you needed to do to become stronger.

 _And besides_ , Pyrrha thought, _The look on her face is priceless_.

Meanwhile, Ruby was silently fuming with her arms crossed. Laughing, Pyrrha crossed the distance between them and planted a quick apology kiss on her girlfriend's pouting lips.

Ruby's features softened before frowning once more. "First, that was the most unapologetic apology kiss ever, and secondly, is this the reason you haven't been able to game with me?"

Pyrrha had the gall to look sheepish. "I'm sorry?"

Ruby was not amused. "One dozen cookies."

"Come again?"

"We all have our own idiosyncrasies, Pyrrha. But luckily for you, I'm a simple girl. As you know, my level of annoyance operates on the cookie scale, and right now, it's at a twelve."

"Ah, I see."

A pregnant pause later, and Ruby spoke up.

"I'm waiting."

"For what?"

"My cookies!"

"Oh."

"Don't just 'oh', Pyrrha! I want-eep!"

Pyrrha didn't know what got Ruby so riled up (even though she was pretty sure the Schnee was involved somehow), but she knew exactly how to lift the little reaper's spirits.

Through romance of course. And by literally lifting her. So, just like that, Pyrrha activated her semblance and whisked Ruby off her feet.

Despite the wind buffeting against their ears, Pyrrha could hear Ruby's complaints loud and clear.

"P-Pyrrha! Let me down!"

"Not yet~"

"Why not?!"

"Because it's a lovely day for a fly."

"What are you-oh…"

"Right?"

As their ascent came to end, Ruby bothered to look around for the first time, and even she had to admit, it was a nice view.

Not only could she see the entirety of the Beacon, its gardens and spires on full display, but she could see beyond the landing platforms towards the deep blue water separating the academy and Vale. Sure, Ruby saw the water every time they took a Bullhead down into the city, but somehow at this moment, it became all the more appreciable. Maybe it was because she was steadfastly secure in her girlfriend's arms? She sighed and looked up.

"You suck, Pyrrha."

Emerald eyes met silver. "I know. I'm sorry."

Ruby sighed again and craned her neck up to begrudgingly deliver an apology-acceptance kiss. "I know you don't mean that, but at this point, it's like 'meh'."

Laughing, Pyrrha returned the kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too, Pyr. Congrats on achieving flight."

"Thank you, Ruby."

"You're welcome. And at least this way you won't be too mad when I show you what I've been up to."

"I beg your pardon?"

Ruby waved it off and nuzzled into Pyrrha's collar. "Oh, nothing. Let's just enjoy the moment."

* * *

 **Loose Timeline:**

 **Ch. 18 = Stealing Glances Omake**

 **Ch. 13 = Trappings**

 **Ch. 9 = Pyrrha's Rival**

 **Ch. 11 = What's Next?**

 **Ch. 12 = Help from an Unlikely Source**

 **Ch. 7 (sophomore year) = The Dance**

 **Ch. 14 = Going for a Run**

 **Ch. 16 = A Helping Hand**

 **Ch. 2 = On Butterflies**

 **Ch. 3 = Stars**

 **Ch. 4 = Lingering Flowers**

 **Ch. 19 = Can't Sleep**

 **Ch. 20 = Take Flight**

 **Ch. 8 = Go**

 **Ch. 5 = Philosophy of Ruby**

 **Ch. 6 = Chocolate**

 **Ch. 1 (senior year) = Just a Touch of Spice**

 **Ch. 17 = Stealing Glances**

 **Ch. 15 (post-Beacon) = Three Nights**

 **Ch. 10 = Knowledge**


	21. Saturn

**A/N:**

The song in this chapter is "Saturn" by Sleeping at Last. Go ahead and play it to go with the read, if you'd like.

* * *

"Ruby. Ruby, wake up!"

The girl in question grumbled but acquiesced. "Ugh, Pyrrha? What's wrong?" she said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Pyrrha smiled. "Nothing's wrong, babe. Just get dressed in something comfy. We're going outside."

Ruby looked at the clock then back to her girlfriend disbelievingly. "Eh? But it's... 6:20 in the morning?!"

"I have hot chocolate."

"I'll be ready in five."

"That's my girl. I'll be waiting at the door."

* * *

Ruby stepped out wearing a red hoodie under a black jacket. She wore her classic rose pajamas as well, prompting Pyrrha to wonder how she still fit in them. Ruby wasn't exactly fifteen anymore.

"So? What's this all about?" said the leader of Team RWBY as she followed Pyrrha out the dorms.

The Champion hummed noncommittally, thermos of hot chocolate in hand. "Mm? We're gonna watch the sunrise obviously."

Ruby blinked. "Right. Because this is such a normal thing that I deserved to get hit with an 'obviously'."

"Yup."

"If you say so, Pyr..."

Pyrrha turned to Ruby and flashed her a classic Pumpkin Pete's smile. "Give it a chance, Ruby. When was the last time you actually watched the sun rise?"

"I'm a Huntress, Pyrrha. I don't have time for such trivial pursuits."

"Right. Because those late-night video game runs have nothing to do with your inability to wake up early."

The younger scoffed but held her ground. "Hey, man. You have to admit that my high score on zombies is pretty impressive."

"Yes, but you can still enjoy things like this too." Pyrrha slowed down to take Ruby's hand in hers. "C'mon, we're almost there."

* * *

It was still mostly dark by the time the girls arrived at a bench in one of the school's gardens.

Pyrrha sat Ruby down, handed her a cup of hot cocoa from the thermos and wrapped them both up in a blanket.

It admittedly wasn't that cold, and both girls were already wearing warm clothing. But sharing a blanket made things a hundred times cuddlier. At least, that's what Pyrrha liked to think.

Pyrrha reached into her pocket and pulled out her scroll and some earbuds. "Here," she said, handing Ruby one of the ear pieces.

"Thanks."

As soon as Ruby put the earbud in, she was immediately immersed in a beautiful melody. She watched slowly as the dark sky began to brighten as well. She could see the still black outlines of everything on the horizon.

And right before her eyes, the sky exploded in a deluge of light. The sun wasn't quite up yet, but the way clouds caught the orange rays belied that fact. Even the blue of the sky was tinted gold.

 _You taught me the courage of stars before you left.  
How light carries on endlessly, even after death.  
With shortness of breath, you explained the infinite.  
How rare and beautiful it is to even exist.  
_  
And despite herself, Ruby started crying. Those tears never made it to the ground, though, not while Pyrrha was around.

 _I couldn't help but ask  
For you to say it all again.  
I tried to write it down  
But I could never find a pen.  
I'd give anything to hear  
You say it one more time,  
That the universe was made  
Just to be seen by my eyes._

 _I couldn't help but ask_  
 _For you to say it all again._  
 _I tried to write it down_  
 _But I could never find a pen._  
 _I'd give anything to hear_  
 _You say it one more time,_  
 _That the universe was made_  
 _Just to be seen by my eyes._

 _With shortness of breath, I'll explain the infinite_  
 _How rare and beautiful it truly is that we exist._

Gazing at the sky, Pyrrha hugged Ruby tighter and whispered a message to a certain someone. "Happy birthday, Mrs. Rose. I promise I'll take good care of her."


	22. Shopping

"Well I'd call that shopping trip a success," said Ruby as she licked her gelato happily.

Pyrrha smile-sighed, a behavior one grows accustomed to after a while with Ruby Rose.

"We haven't even gone to any stores yet."

"Meh." The young team leader stopped, prompting Pyrrha to as well. "Look at it, Pyr! It's gelato shaped like a rose! With a macaron in the center! If that's not happiness in a cone, then I don't know what is."

Pyrrha smiled down at her girlfriend with nothing but affection… before reaching over to pluck the macaron right out of Ruby's dessert and into her own mouth.

* * *

Ruby frowned as she held the article of clothing against her chest. "I don't know. It feels a bit too Yang for me."

"You mean slutty?"

"That's what I said."

Pyrrha had to laugh at that. Shopping with Ruby went about as expected. Young as she is and as exuberant as she can be in regards to her favorite things, Ruby looked for all the world to be a regular teenager shopping for clothes.

As the girl in question put away the crop top, she turned towards Pyrrha apologetically. "Feel free to look around too, Pyr. I know I'm the one who suggested this, but you don't have to act as my personal assistant."

"Somebody has to keep your ridiculous fashion sense in check, though."

Unfortunately, before Pyrrha could send her a small smile to convey her jest, Ruby fired back.

"I don't want to hear that from someone who unironically wears a tiara."

Pyrrha's eyes narrowed, all pretenses of light-headed joking gone. No one talks shit about her tiara. "At least I'm not gallivanting around in a gothic-loli costume."

"My mom made me this outfit…"

The Champion's heart sank. "Oh, gods. Ruby, I'm so s-"

"Lawl. My mom died years ago, Pyrrha, calm down."

"..."

"Well, I guess now's as good a time as any to head to the next store!"

* * *

On the bullhead back to Beacon, Pyrrha relaxed into her seat. What a day. She's gone through whole tournaments without feeling this tired. It was worth it, though.

Ruby was especially pleased with her purchases. In one bag, she had a simple red dress that went down to her mid-thigh and a slimming black leather jacket. She'd wear them with black leggings and some heels to accentuate her long legs.

The other bag contained a red sweater which would be tucked into a black skirt. Ruby said that she would probably complete the outfit with black knee-length boots.

Pyrrha hummed. She had a plaid scarf that might go perfectly with the sweater-skirt combo. She'd have to go to Ruby about that later.

 _Yum._

Less appropriate thoughts aside, she tapped her partner on the shoulder, remembering something important.

"Hey, Rubes?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry I ate your macaron."

Ruby paused, choosing to gaze longingly out the window at the setting sun.

"It's okay, Pyr. I'm not angry, just disappointed."

"Do you mind if I make it up to you?"

Ruby sighed. "I'm not really in the mood for sex, love."

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow but waved it off. Instead, she placed a small paper box with a bow onto Ruby's lap.

The younger girl looked at the champion. Pyrrha gave a small smile before nodding for her to open it, and upon doing so, Ruby's eyes widened in surprise.

It was a box of macarons.

Laughing, Ruby pecked the redhead on the lips.

"You ass."


	23. Meeting the Parents Pt 1

Ruby led Pyrrha by the hand along the snow-dusted path, and the taller girl found herself staring in awe at the white landscape. The trees almost seemed to fold inwards over the path to Ruby's house, creating a veritable alleyway through the snow forest.

"It's like a fairytale," Pyrrha whispered.

Ruby shrugged. "You think so? I guess I've gotten used to it."

"How could you ever get used to something as beautiful as this?"

The other girl hummed noncommittally. "Because I get to see natural beauty all the time back at school."

Pyrrha conceded that point, though she was still busy staring. "That's fair. Beacon does have some pretty spectacular views."

"Yeah. You included."

That got the redhead's attention.

"Bwaaah?"

Ruby Rose laughed… before pecking her girlfriend on the nose and sprinting off towards the wooden house in the distance.

Ruby always loves when Pyrrha's cheeks match the color of her hair.

* * *

For all of the crap Pyrrha gave Yang, the girl could be terrifying when she wanted to be. However, at this moment with his eyes narrowed and arms crossed, Taiyang Xiao Long put his daughter to shame.

Pyrrha gulped.

"So, you're the punk who thinks they're good enough for my Rubaby?"

Also, the fact that Qrow had his scythe fully deployed behind him wasn't helping.

…

She met their eyes.

"I brought steak and beer."

…

"Welcome to the family!"

* * *

And so, the two girls found themselves in Ruby's room with their luggage. As they began to settle in, Ruby suddenly remembered something important.

"Crap. Can you unpack Zwei for me?"

"Sure."

Yeah, Pyrrha knew she should have probably been more alarmed. She certainly was back when she first travelled with Zwei. But that was before she knew how durable a dog with its aura unlocked could be.

In the end, Pyrrha just shook her head and calmly opened the pack containing the corgi.

"Arf!" said Zwei as he nuzzled against Pyrrha's hand.

"Good to see you too, boy. You glad to be back home?"

"Woof!"

"Yeah, I was feeling a bit of homesickness myself."

Ruby paused in her unpacking. "You could still spend some of the break in Mistral, you know."

"Nah, I don't wanna bother my family in the middle of the renovations."

"Well, if you're sure…"

Pyrrha looked pointedly at the girl opposite her on the bed. "I am, Ruby, as I've said before. Just focus on showing me around Patch, mkay? I'm curious to see where you grew up."

And just to be safe, Pyrrha leaned in to deliver an "I'm okay" kiss.

Followed by a "Really, I'm okay kiss".

Followed by a… well, you get the point.

They kissed for a while.

* * *

Still in Ruby's room, Pyrrha and Ruby continued to unpack.

"Remember how you told me the other day that breaks are about spending time with family?" Pyrrha asked as she hung up her coat.

"Mhm."

"Counterargument number one: Yang isn't here."

"Yang is Yang. That doesn't count. And besides, she's chasing after a girl."

"Fine. Counterargument number two: you never said that breaks must necessarily be spent with one's _own_ family."

"Mhm…"

"I'm spending time with a family, _your_ family in particular, so I'm technically in the clear."

"..."

Pyrrha nodded sagely. "I see that my infinite wisdom has left you speechless."

Ruby sighed and laid Crescent Rose on her bedroom drawer.

Luggage unpacked, the girls settled in to enjoy first day of their vacation. And settle in they did.

Right into the couch.

* * *

Pyrrha awoke expecting Ruby to be wrapped in her arms.

The girl was facedown on the floor.

"Whoops."

Pyrrha sat up and shifted her legs off the couch. She then proceeded to kick her girlfriend awake.

"Ruby." Kick. "Ruby, wake up!" Kick, kick.

Pyrrha looked up to see Taiyang watching as he stood in the doorway of the living room.

...

He shrugged and walked away.

 _Is it me, or has there been a lot of stare-offs and pregnant pauses today?_

A muffled sound from the floor brought Pyrrha's attention back to the girl still face down on the hardwood.

"Ugh. Why am I on the floor? Did you kick me off again, Pyrrha?"

"You know I don't do that."

"Oh, right. I usually do that to you."

"Don't remind me…"

Ruby made her way back onto couch and crossed her legs. "So? Whatcha wanna do?" she asked, looking at girl across from her. "I have somewhere I wanna go to tomorrow, but other than that, Ruby Rose is at your service."

Pyrrha ignored the shamelessly dirty thoughts that ran through her head and instead requested something more mundane. "How about we make some snowmen-"

"Sure!"

"-and then shoot them with Crescent and Miló?"

"... Sure!"


	24. Meeting the Parents Pt 2

On a snow-capped cliff, two girls stood.

"Hi, Mom... I hope you've been alright. I know it must get pretty lonely watching over us all by yourself."

Pyrrha shifted quietly a few feet behind Ruby, not quite knowing what to do or say.

Ruby continued.

"I just finished another semester at Beacon! Things keep happening, as things tend to do. Yang's busy with Neo. Blake is still pretending to fight off Sun's advances. Ren and Nora aren't quite together-together, but all bets are still on. And Weiss doesn't react with immediate disgust to Jaune's presence anymore!"

…

"Right? Mind blown. Anyways, dad and Qrow are dad and Qrow. No need to worry there… at least not anymore than usual. And I've been keeping up with my hand-to-hand training! I'll never be as good as the others, but hey, not as good is still better than sucks ass right? Yup..."

Pyrrha saw it right away. How Ruby's form stilled and how she hugged her cloak around herself just a bit tighter.

The young reaper kept going, though.

"I know it only gets tougher, but we're all getting stronger. We're not gonna let anything tear us apart. We're gonna keep making memories…"

Ruby shifted once more, voice just above a whisper.

"... I just wish you weren't one yourself. I wish you were here to make them with us."

Right on cue, Pyrrha enveloped Ruby in her arms, just as the first tear fell. Ruby wondered how she always knew. Pyrrha had a habit of catching the second tear.

"Oh!" Still wrapped in a Mistralian hug, Ruby addressed her mother once more. "I almost forgot, Mom. Let me officially introduce you to Pyrrha."

"H-Hello."

And somehow, despite Taiyang's best efforts, Pyrrha felt much more intimidated meeting Ruby's mother.

"It's… It's good to finally meet you, Mrs. Rose. Ruby… She's been wonderful."

Ruby closed her eyes and leaned back against Pyrrha, content to listen to her girlfriend compliment her in Summer's presence.

"Don't get me wrong, she can be a total pain in the ass."

Ruby sighed.

"And it's been mission impossible trying to get her to eat properly."

Ruby sighed again. This was not how she thought this would go.

"She's nosy, immature, hyperactive, kicks me out of bed, and a million other things."

The daughter of Summer winced.

"But she's _mine_. And I'm hers."

"Pyr…"

"So don't you worry, Mrs. Rose. I'll keep an eye on your daughter while you're away. Pyrrha "The Invincible Girl" Nikos is on the case."

A few seconds passed as Pyrrha's declaration hung in the air.

Green eyes met silver ones. "Ruby?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for letting me tag along."

"Meh. It was long overdue."

"Even so. I wish I got to meet Summer in person."

"She would have loved you."

Pyrrha smiled. "You ready?"

"Yup. Bye, Mom!"

"T'was nice meeting you, Mrs. Rose!"

After the two girls descended down the precipice, a single rose petal floated gently onto Summer's grave.


	25. The Sexpert

"Blake, I need advice."

The cat faunus lowered her book, sensing an important conversation coming on. She patted the spot next to her on the bed and motioned for Ruby to sit down.

"I see. What sort of advice?"

"Advice... of the erotic variety?"

"..."

She mentally facepalmed. _Right. Important conversation, my ass. I'm too old for this shit._

Blake stage-called to a hypothetical Xiao-Long. "Yang! Your sister is being awful again! Please make it stop."

Ruby, for her part, was not amused. Arms crossed and eyes sharp, she almost struck a halfway imposing image. "Are you quite finished?"

"You know, the Weiss approach really doesn't suit you, but alright, I'll bite. What do you want to know? And why are you asking me in particular anyway?"

"Because you're the local sexpert!"

"Sex... pert?"

"It's not like I can go to Yang about this, and as for Weiss, I'm not even sure if she's capable of having sex!"

"Hey!"

"Shut up, Weiss! Can't you see that I'm talking to Blake? Anyways, Blake old pal, that's the sitch. So whatcha got for me?"

Blake sighed. Ruby had a point. It looks like it's up to her to deal with this. "What exactly do you want help with?"

"Oh, you know..." Ruby said, making vague, unintelligible hand gestures.

"I really don't. Please don't tell me you're asking about the mechanics of sex, Ruby. That was supposed to be Yang's job."

"Blake! I know _how_ to have sex!"

A pointed cough from the other side of the room told Ruby that she may have spoken too loudly. Lowering her voice, she scooted closer to Blake. "I just... How do I get her... in the mood?"

At that, Blake relaxed a little. _This_ she could handle.

"Just be yourself, Ruby."

"But I don't want to be me. I want to be romantic."

"And for Pyrrha, there isn't a difference. Trust me. Effort is important, but the moment you try, things start getting weird. However, you shouldn't not try either."

"Have you been reading Ren's books again?"

"Perhaps."

"Because I need advice, Blakey, not philosophical bullshit."

"I'll tell Ren you said that."

Ruby stopped to consider that particular consequence for a moment but decided to forge ahead anyway.

"Seriously, any tips? What gets people going?"

"Assuming that you're not comfortable enough to ambush Pyrrha in lingerie-"

Ruby nodded.

"-I'm serious about what I said earlier. You've been in situations where you've felt, eh, certain things for Pyrrha before right?"

"Hot under the collar? Of course. She's gorgeous."

"... Right. And did you guys do anything special for you to feel that way?"

"Um, not really. It just sorta happens."

"And there you go. Romance isn't something you usually _do_. It's more often than not something that just happens."

Ruby had her best concentration face on, and after a few seconds, she nodded her head. "That sorta makes sense."

Blake smiled and patted her old friend on the head. "That's my girl. You'll be fine. Just focus on being with her and having a good time. The rest will follow."

The young brunette smiled, not quite satisfied but mostly content. Ruby thanked Blake with a peck on the cheek before bounding out of the room.

Reaching for her book, Blake found that she was smiling as well, or at least she was until she made eye contact with Weiss.

"You know," she said, "I can totally have sex if I wanted to."

* * *

 **Loose Timeline:**

 **Ch. 18 = Stealing Glances Omake**

 **Ch. 13 = Trappings**

 **Ch. 9 = Pyrrha's Rival**

 **Ch. 11 = What's Next?**

 **Ch. 12 = Help from an Unlikely Source**

 **Ch. 7 (sophomore year) = The Dance**

 **Ch. 14 = Going for a Run**

 **Ch. 16 = A Helping Hand**

 **Ch. 23 = Meeting the Parents Pt 1**

 **Ch. 24 = Meeting the Parents Pt 2**

 **Ch. 2 = On Butterflies**

 **Ch. 3 = Stars**

 **Ch. 4 = Lingering Flowers**

 **Ch. 22 = Shopping**

 **Ch. 25 = The Sexpert**

 **Ch. 19 = Can't Sleep**

 **Ch. 20 = Take Flight**

 **Ch. 8 = Go**

 **Ch. 5 = Philosophy of Ruby**

 **Ch. 6 = Chocolate**

 **Ch. 21 = Saturn**

 **Ch. 1 (senior year) = Just a Touch of Spice**

 **Ch. 17 = Stealing Glances**

 **Ch. 15 (post-Beacon) = Three Nights**

 **Ch. 10 = Knowledge**


	26. It's a Happening

It was a little thing.

But isn't it always?

With a sigh, Pyrrha put her pencil down. Oobleck's essay could wait. It wasn't due until next week anyway.

The red-headed champion glanced at the clock.

 _11:30_

 _Not bad_ , she thought. Pyrrha enjoyed late nights alone in the library like this every now and then. They reminded her of her life before Beacon.

Of course, her life now was awesome. Friends at her side and perhaps even a budding relationship – her heart beat a little faster at that – she's never been happier. But she's always enjoyed time to herself. Mistral would have been unbearable otherwise.

Anyways… What was she thinking about earlier? Oh, right. A little thing. More specifically, Pyrrha was mulling over what Ruby said to her before she went back to her room, having finished the essay around ten.

 _Seriously, it's not fair that she can use her semblance to augment her typing speed…_

Cough. Right. Enough tangents.

" _Stop stressing so much, Pyr. You don't need to_ try _to be a good friend."_

She loved Ruby… platonically, of course. But she couldn't really figure out what she meant.

She understood that you couldn't force someone to be your friend. However, isn't friendship about making an effort and showing people that they can trust you?

Or is this what people meant when they say that certain friendships are effortless?

…

 _And now I have a headache. Damnit, Ruby._

Sighing once more, Pyrrha closed her eyes and started rubbing her temples. A few seconds later, she heard soft footsteps in her periphery.

"Pyrrha?"

"Hey, Ren."

The raven-haired boy sat down next to her at the table, in the seat Ruby previously occupied. He uncapped his thermos and offered his teammate a cup of tea, which she gratefully accepted.

She took a sip. Oolong. "Mmm, thank you, Ren. I needed that."

"It would appear so. May I ask what has you up at this hour?"

Pyrrha gestured down to her laptop and scratch paper. "I'm just working on our history essay."

"Ah, forgive me. I always forget that you're also an excellent student."

Taking another sip, Pyrrha raised an eyebrow at that.

Ren smiled, knowing she took no offense. "Aren't you worried that you're a bit OP?"

Pyrrha laughed out loud at that… before she remembered that she was in a library. She toned it down to slightly above a whisper, still grinning at her friend's uncharacteristic jest.

"And what of Weiss? She's a gifted fighter and at the top of our class academically."

"Yes, but she can't kick our asses in the classroom as resoundingly as you do in the arena."

"Ha, it's not my fault you all use metal weapons," she shot back, causing Ren to grumble.

Pyrrha finished her tea before Ren spoke up once more.

"You okay? You looked troubled when I found you."

"Hmm? Oh, yes. I'm quite alright. I was just pondering something."

Ren sent her a small smile. "A lien for your thoughts?"

"I'd like to think they're worth more than that," she smiled back before her face fell back into something more contemplative. "How do people make friends, Ren?"

"Pardon?"

"I'm just thinking about something Ruby said to me earlier. She told me not to try so hard."

"Ah, wise words from someone so young."

"Is that so?"

"It is. I'm not going to pretend to know you fully, Pyrrha, but I do know that you care for us a great deal. And when I put that into context with what you've told us about your past, then Ruby's advice make sense."

"... Go on."

Ren settled into his seat a bit more before continuing. "When Ruby said not to try, she did not mean for you to stop putting forth effort. I think Ruby was trying to explain that friendship is about happening as much as it is about doing."

"So… in addition to putting in the effort, I sort of just have to let things… happen?"

"Yes. Consider sight, for example. Most people consider seeing as something they _do_. But is that really the case? Do we know exactly how to work our rods and cones? Do we tell our retina how to function? I don't think so. Such processes are happenings. Friendships are similar."

Pyrrha took a few seconds to process her friend's words.

…

..

…

"How the hell do you know all this?"

"I trained for many years and eventually attained enlightenment under a sacred peach tree."

"..."

"Or I just listen to a bunch a philosophy videos on my scroll."

* * *

Pyrrha walked through one of Beacon's numerous hallways, breathing out in relaxation as another day of classes finished.

If she were being honest, Pyrrha _still_ had a hard time with the whole not trying so hard thing.

But as she found herself suddenly on the floor laughing in a mess of red and tangled limbs thanks to Ruby's surprise tackle-glomp, she figured she'd stop trying to figure out how to stop trying, at least for the moment.


	27. Phase Two

"Mmm, this is nice. I wish we could go out like this more often," said Ruby, eyes closed and enjoying the gentle spring breeze.

And Pyrrha definitely didn't take the opportunity to stare at the younger girl's pretty face as her bangs shifted playfully to and fro.

Having just had brunch at what was quickly becoming their mutually favorite cafe, the girls were currently sat on a bench situated in one of Vale's many parks. An enclave of trees provided a touch of shade, and peaking through the interwoven branches and leaves was bright blue sky.

"I agree, but it's tough," Pyrrha said. "Between our usual schedules and your study sessions with Weiss and my training with Jaune, it's not often that it'll be just you and me…"

The Mistral regional champion paused, as if registering what was just said.

"- not that I don't love spending time with our other teammates as well, of course!" she hastily added.

 _Smooth, Nikos. Way to keep it platonic..._

Ruby smirked at the overly polite girl's quick back-tracking. "Of course."

The two descended into a comfortable silence. Well, mostly comfortable. Ruby continued to fidget slightly in her outfit. Weiss let her borrow a patterned white blouse to tuck into her red skirt. A thin brown belt at the waist brought the whole outfit together, or so Yang claimed. And ultimately, Ruby had to admit that she looked pretty good, but darnit, she was _sooo_ not used to non-combat skirts.

Her musings over the merits of dressing "combat ready" versus dressing nicely were interrupted by Pyrrha calling out her name.

"Gleek!" She coughed. "Uh – I mean – what was that, Pyr?"

Pyrrha, for her part, let that one slide. "I said that I've thought of a possible solution to our problem, if you'd like to hear it?"

"Sure!"

* * *

Weiss stalked into the dorm room, nearly slamming the door into her team leader's face, not that Ruby didn't see that one coming from a mile away.

"Pretty please!"

"No."

"Pretty pretty please!"

"No."

"Pretty pretty pretty-"

"My gosh, Ruby, would you be quiet!?"

"Only if you say 'yes'!"

Having taken a seat at her desk, Weiss sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why are you asking me again?"

"Because you're smart and skilled and would be a wonderful teacher!" Ruby replied dutifully.

"While none of those things are false, I would like the actual reason."

Ruby pouted. "Gah, fine. Pyrrha wants to have a little more time to herself. She's enjoyed training Jaune, but she'd like at least a couple evenings to herself during the week. And since you're the only other person who uses a sword-"

"Technically, it's a rapier."

"-she figured that you'd be the best bet."

"I see… So why isn't she asking me instead? I feel like this somehow involves you."

Ruby winced. "Urk… No reason, really. She and I have been talking more recently, and it sorta just came up. I offered to be the middleman. That's all!"

Silver met blue as the two locked eyes.

 _Stare.._

 _Stare…_

 _Stare.._

Weiss's line of vision shifted and focused behind Ruby. "Pyrrha! Why aren't you wearing a shirt?!"

Ruby's head turned so fast that Weiss saw rose petals.

Weiss shook her head. _That's… sorta cute, honestly._

Sighing once more, the SDC heiress resolved herself to help teach that useless sack of potatoes named Jaune Arc.

 _Short and sweet, my ass..._

* * *

Pyrrha waited patiently pretending to read on her scroll until she received a message from Ruby.

*ping*

" _Weiss is on board!"_

The redhead looked up at the other occupant of the room.

"Hey, Jaune?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind if Weiss subs in for me during our training sessions sometimes?"

"Yeah, that's fine with me."


	28. The Triple Play

In the kitchen, Ruby Rose quietly hummed to herself.

 _Let's see…_ she thought, going through her mental checklist one last time. _Steak, check. Tortillas, check. Rice and beans, checkity check. All that's left is the guacamole._

"Well, I'll be. I should have my own cooking show. 'Mexican Made Easy with Ruby Rose'."

She laughed. Oh, she could imagine Blake's reaction. Always so politically correct, that one.

Reaching into the fridge for the ingredients, Ruby paused when she saw a fresh jalapeno.

 _Well, Pyrrha did say that she was into spicy food..._

With that, the Reaper got to work. She vaguely considered pulling out Crescent Rose, but Weiss had her ass the last time she brought a weapon into the kitchen. And she had a feeling that if Crescent could talk, then it wouldn't appreciate being used to slay cilantro and onions.

And so, not five minutes later into the making of the guac, Pyrrha returned home to a lovely surprise. There she was, the love of her life, wearing nothing but an apron and who appeared to be making her favorite chunky dip.

 _Wait_ , thought Pyrrha as she started to process what she's looking at.

 _Nice…_

Ruby figured that this was a good time to turn around and sauntered over to her girlfriend. "Hiya, Pyr! Welcome home."

She pecked the still gobsmacked huntress on the lips. "Now," Ruby said with lingering eyes. "Would you like dinner, a bath or… me?"

And we all know which option Pyrrha chose first. Unfortunately for our heroes, Ruby forgot to wash her hands before they got down to business.

A spicy evening, indeed.


	29. Fall Break and Revelations

It was the second time Cinder Fall visited Beacon, and this time as the bullhead landed, she wasn't focused on the views or the beautiful campus. She zeroed in on the figure with the flowing red hair.

Pyrrha. Who, true to her word, was waiting just beyond the landing pads.

The exit bridge opened, and Cinder walked out to meet her… friend? Sure.

Cinder walked out to meet her friend, trusting that her belongings would be delivered to the guest room.

Admittedly, the Mistral champion was being incredibly generous, paying for her stay in Beacon during this year's autumn recess. Pyrrha had offered to cover the flight as well, but even Cinder would not abuse someone's generosity to that extent.

The Vytal Festival finalists met each other halfway but stopped with a meter's distance between them. Vibrant green eyes met rich, amber-colored ones.

They both smirked.

The two raised their right arms and linked elbows. They aren't quite at hug level, and maybe they never will be, but there is a good feeling in the air. Excitement. A challenge. A rivalry. A friendship.

"Shall we?"

"Let's do it."

* * *

[Not even one hour later…]

Pyrrha opens with a forward thrust with Milō. Cinder side turns, allowing the javelin to pass harmlessly by, until Pyrrha reverses her grip on the weapon and brings it around in a wide arc.

Cinder is forced to bring both of her glass swords to bear, but her entire body still shifts, feet sliding across the ground.

 _I had forgotten how hard Nikos hits…_

Bringing her thoughts back to the task at hand, she saw Pyrrha quickly closing the distance once more with a old fashioned shield bash, her spear balanced along the back of her shoulders and resting on a gap on the edge of Akoúō.

Instead of panicking, Cinder regripped her swords and slammed them into the ground. A glyph formed, and a wall of fire followed soon after, halting Pyrrha's advance.

Cinder bounded back and clasped her swords together to form her bow. She notched three arrows, expecting Nikos to be in a similar position on the other side of the dwindling wall of fire.

She didn't expect a shield to burst through the flames like a frisbee from hell.

Luckily, the aim was off, and Cinder easily dodged the nasty surprise. Now was her chance! Nikos was in sight and without a shield. But why was she holding her index finger up and moving it almost as if…?

 _Shit!_

Without thinking, Cinder dove to the side just in time to avoid a spinning shield to the back. Elegance be damned.

Cinder could just feel Pyrrha's grin.

 _That bitch. I didn't think she'd already have this fine a control over her semblance._

Wherever Pyrrha's upturned finger went, so did her shield. Cinder was constantly on her back foot. It was only when Pyrrha finally missed by a large enough margin that Cinder was able to retaliate. She charged, knowing that getting in close would force Pyrrha to recall her shield.

And when she did, Cinder thwacked the projectile as it flew by her, causing it to careen off into the distance.

The student from Vacuo pressed her advantage, scoring a couple blows to Pyrrha's aura with her twin blades. But even without her shield, Pyrrha fought her tooth and nail with spear alone.

The dual wielder was eventually forced to disengage. She knew that fighting aggressively for too long would only lead to errors on her part. She had hoped to get Nikos down to 30% already, but such was not the case.

They both took the time to regain their breaths. Even with the aura lead, Cinder knew that the outcome of the spar was far from decided. Pyrrha, having recalled her shield, looked ready for a slug fest.

Indeed, so engrossed were they that they didn't notice the small crowd that had formed around the outdoor training space they were using. Until, that is, a familiar voice broke through the fray.

"Cinder! When did you get here?" said Ruby, making her way through the onlookers.

* * *

It made for a weird sight, the Vytal Festival champion and runner-up looking rather sheepish despite the diminutive girl currently admonishing them.

Ruby was not pleased. "Pyr! Why didn't you tell me that Cinder was coming?"

"I forgot?"

"And Cinder," who flinched slightly as Ruby turned to her. "Why didn't you text me?"

"It must have slipped my mind as well…"

"Ugh. You two are the worst."

"Sorry, babe…"

"Sigh. I suppose we'll call it even at a half dozen."

Cinder looked confused. "What?"

"It's Ruby's way of conveying her grievances through cookie contrition. The most upset I've ever seen her is two dozen cookies," Pyrrha explained.

"Ah."

With that out of the way, Ruby clapped her hands together. "Anyways, since Cindy is here, we should all hang out!"

"About that… We were planning to train a bit more today and then head to Vale for dinner," said Pyrrha apologetically.

"Oh… how bout tomorrow morning then?"

"I think we had reserved a training room…"

Ruby deflated. "Oh…"

"But that's all we have planned out so far! So we're all yours tomorrow afternoon. And I'll also drop by later tonight, mkay?"

"Mkay…"

Ruby didn't want them to feel bad, so she reached up to give Pyrrha a quick peck on the lips and then ran over to hug Cinder.

"I'll catch y'all later, then! Have fun training!"

* * *

And that's how Ruby ended up walking through the gardens by herself on the first night of fall break. She kicked a pebble and grumbled to herself.

 _Sad Ruby is sad…_

She knows she's being petty, but she can't help it! She was a bit hurt by the whole thing, even though it wasn't a big deal.

It wasn't a big deal.

Right?

..

...

..

 _Damnit._ The squeezing feeling in her chest told her otherwise. And worse still, she started crying.

Good thing she wasn't one for makeup.

* * *

[Many tears later...]

Right. So she definitely wasn't sobbing in silence. Nope. No sobs here.

Ruby sighed. She felt better, though. Better than better, actually.

She stood, and the feeling continued to grow. She felt… bigger?

 _Ooh! This must be my growth spurt! Finally._

The sensation persisted, and she found herself compelled to draw her weapon for a few shadow swings.

After checking that the coast was clear, Ruby took a stance, Crescent held out before her, and readied herself for a single strike. She decided to let it all out here. All of her frustration, worry, everything.

She swings. And lets out a cleansing breath.

"Hah!"

And that's when she saw a half moon shaped blade of light come flying off her scythe. The ethereal light imploded against the tree in front of her.

Ruby was all but blinded for a moment and then went to check on the tree.

Turning on her scroll's flashlight feature, she could see a deep gash in the wood, but thankfully the tree still stood.

She turned off her scroll, but for some reason she could still see a patch of light on the wood in front of her. It was almost as if… Ruby pulled out her scroll once more and brought up the selfie cam.

 _No way…_

Her eyes were glowing.


	30. Cereal

Ruby watched her girlfriend with a wary eye.

They were walking back to the dorms after combat class, which was actually quite eventful. For one, she and Pyrrha were selected to spar against each other.

Oops.

Ruby thought it went well. She lost but had gotten Pyrrha's aura down below 50%. That's certainly never happened before.

And though Ruby was feeling pretty good, the Invincible Girl suddenly felt a little less invincible. It showed in her continued silence, not that she was giving Ruby the cold shoulder. Pyrrha was just lost in thought.

 _Maybe a little too lost_ , thought Ruby. She needed to snap her out of it, and she knew just the way. She'd been saving something just for this occasion.

The reaper stopped in her tracks, finally drawing Pyrrha's attention as the taller girl accidentally walked into her.

"Cereal, I need you to calm down," she said.

Pyrrha blinked. "What did you just call me?"

Ruby, having at last made eye contact, continued walking. "Anyways, Cereal, about our date Saturday-"

"I don't like this new nickname…"

"You'll get used to it."

"I'd really rather not…"

"... Anyways, about our date-"

And though Pyrrha was annoyed, at least she was out of her own head.

[One week later]

Ruby whistled as she strolled down the hall. She was psyched for tonight's shenanigans with the gang, but something stopped her right in her tracks.

She was tall, red and still held a grudge about her latest nickname.

"Hey, Red."

Ruby sighed as Pyrrha left the wall she was leaning on to walk alongside her. "What did you just call me, Pyr?"

Pyrrha smiled. "Your name, silly," she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh, good. For a second I thought that you were using Roman's pet name for me."

"Of course not! … Red."

"Is this about the whole 'Cereal' thing?"

"I have no idea what you mean."

"I think you do."

"Nope."

[One day of the cold shoulder treatment later (and when I say 'cold', I mean like 'slightly chilly')]

"Red!"

"Cereal!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Me too."

Pyrrha brought forth the hand she was hiding behind her back. In it was small to-go box. "I got you some red velvet apology cookies."

"And I…" Ruby paused.

*rushes to pantry*

"-I got you some, uh, cereal of contrition?"

Pyrrha looked unimpressed, but she smiled nonetheless.

"... Meh, good enough."

"Make up sex?"

"Sure."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **And everyone lived happily ever after.**


End file.
